The Swordsman and The Sniper - The Ribbons of Fate
by Striderm8
Summary: A PK game filled with shady players turned into a deadly virtual world, Kirito finds himself in the middle of yet another disaster created by Kayaba Akihiko. In this game, he stumbles across a girl with powder-blue hair who shares a past just as dark as his own. Will he escape with this girl back to the real world? Or will he perish in this new one? Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **This my first time making a fanfic, so please don't get too angry with me and my choices. I'll be open for suggestions for** **most of the story. Also, I don't hate Kirito x Asuna, I just wish that he'd hook up with Shino. Anyhow, let's begin**.

 **Btw, this is rated M, and is a Kirito x Sinon fanfic :) Enjoy**

 _1300 Hours..._

'How'd I end up here?'

Kazuto scratched his head as he looked up at the skyscrapers soaring into the dark, gloomy sky. Neon lights glared at him from every building he saw, a light breeze slightly pushing his hair back. Sighing, he began walking down the path, ignoring the looks from passing men who wolf-whistled and called out, asking if he wanted to join their party

'This is what I should've expected.' Kirito grumbled, looking at his reflection as he passed a store window. 'After all, I _do_ look somewhat feminine.' Sighing again, he wondered why he had decided to suddenly transfer to Gun Gale Online.

A memory slowly drifted into his mind and he remembered the last couple of days. He was talking to Asuna over phone and was about to hang up when he heard a male voice in the background, making him immediately tense up. Kirito knew he was slowly growing apart from Asuna, but he didn't think of her as the cheating type.

 _'I'll give her the benefit of doubt for now. I'm sure it's just another guy that her mother wants her to be with.'_ Kirito reassured himself, but he still couldn't help but feel a tiny bit suspicious.

'Umm... Kirito?' Asuna's voice was nervous. Something was wrong.

'Yeah, Asuna?' His heart began beating quickly, a cold sweat suddenly enveloping him. He knew something bad was going to happen, even though he kept telling himself nothing terrible would. After SAO, it seemed he had picked up a 6th sense of a sort, and as infuriating as it was at times, it had saved Kazuto multiple times.

'Come on,' Kirito heard the male's voice again who seemed impatient. So he _wasn't_ wrong. It _was_ another man that her mum must've hooked Asuna up with. 'Leave this loser, Yuki. It's time you told him the truth.'

Kirito's eyes widened as he heard those words.

'I'm sorry, Kirito.' He could hear Asuna sobbing now. His heart hurt. _Why did it hurt?_ _Why did he feel like his heart was being slowly torn apart?_

Snapping back to reality, he realised he was shaking violently.

'A-Asuna.' Kirito's voice was shaking uncontrollably. 'What's he talking about?'

'I... I'm sorry, Ki-Kirito.' She was crying non-stop now, barely able to speak. 'I... I don't love you anymore, Kirito. I'm sorry.'

Kirito's heart shattered into thousands of blue polygons as he fell to his kness. He thought that Asuna and him would forever be together. But now? No, Kirito knew what to do.

Slowly but surely, Kirito responded. 'First of all, Asuna, don't ever speak to me again unless you intend to explain the situation, and second of all,' Kirito took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his hand shaking slightly. 'My name is Kazuto, not Kirito.'

'Kirito, waii-' Her voice was cut out by the beep that ended the call. Kazuto had never felt a pain this intense, even when he saw Asuna die right in front of him. He closed his eyes, taking in everything that had just happened.

A couple minutes later, Sugu traveled up the steps towards her bedroom, intending to log into ALO to farm, only to hear someone crying nearby. Worried, she quickly traveled the distance to her brother's room.

'Onii chan,' Suguha opened the door as she spoke. 'Are you alright?' Gasping, she quickly ran to her brother who was crying uncontrollably. Kazuto was shaking violently on the ground, his hands clawing into his sides, sending fiery daggers into his ribs.

'Kazuto!'

Opening his eyes slowly, he saw Sugu grabbing him, forcing him into a hug. Her warmth spread to Kazuto, making him realize that he had worried her.

'Sugu, I-' he was cut off as she squeezed him even tighter than before.

'Don't. Talk.' she whispered, almost too inaudible to hear. She hugged her brother tighter, making him wince in pain. Kazuto, realizing that she had heard him crying, stopped fidgeting, and instead closed his eyes again.

After what seemed like eternity, Sugu let go and slowly stood up. 'Kazuto, I know something bad happened, and I won't push you for details, but...' She trailed off slowly. 'Whatever happened wasn't your fault!'

Jerking his head up, he looked at his sister who looked slightly embarrassed. Quickly, she left the room, shutting the door behind her, leaving Kazuto alone in his dimly lit room.

 _'Thanks Sugu,'_ he thought as he wiped his eyes. Standing up slowly, he flipped the light switch off and climbed into bed, instantly falling asleep as the warmth of his blankets enveloped him.

Snapping out of his depressing day-dream, he remembered. _I haven't thanked her for last night yet,_ Kazuto thought as he continued his way through _SBC Glocken._ Without realizing where he was going, Kazuto accidentally bumped into a man who had just exited a shop.

'Oh, sorry about,' Kirito said sheepishly as he looked up, scratching the back of his neck nervously. He immediately regretted not paying attention where he was going when 3 more men stepped out of the shop, glaring at him.

 _An hour earlier – 1200 Hours..._

In a dark dungeon that was hidden away from all natural light, a lone girl waited patiently laying on her stomach in an elevated position overlooking a long hallway, her PGM Hécate I sniper rifle resting on her back. The girl shifted ever so slightly from her position, still peering into her binoculars. When she was satisfied, she placed her binoculars in her inventory and grabbed her PGM Hécate I. Flipping up the cover from her scope and taking the safety off, she rested the stock against her shoulder and looked down through her scope.

'It should be here, right about... Now!' Sure enough, she heard the footsteps of the Mini-boss monster approaching. Smiling, the girl pushed her powder-blue hair out of the way as she took aim.

'This is too easy,' she thought.

ROOOAAAARR!

A 1 horned monster that rivaled the size of a Tyrannosaurus Rex came stomping into view, it's four legs creating mini shockwaves everytime it moved.

 _'This is to easy,'_ she thought. Breathing in, she focused her aim on the monster's head. Her aim redirected and settled right where she wanted it, the circle becoming smaller, smaller, smaller...

*Click*

BANG!

The whistling of a bullet could be heard, even if it was just for a split second.

The sniper's recoil made the barrel move upwards, but only for a split second. The first bullet had traveled true, flying straight into the center of the mini-boss's head, directly hitting the core of its massive horn. With a wail of anger, it screamed, sending a gust of wind in the girl's direction. Pulling back the bolt with a click, she loaded the next bullet and automatically aimed at the monster, and with ease, shot again.

 _10 minutes later..._

With the sound of glass breaking, the sniper sighed and stood up, watching her adversary explode into thousands of blue and green polygons. Looking to her side, she sighed at the 7 magazines of ammo she used.

'I'll need to restock up after this,' she muttered. The menu popped up, showing her rewards with a small _Ding!_

'Hmm, a couple thousand credits, 2000 EXP, not too bad,' she thought.

Scrolling though, she saw something she didn't expect.

'PGM Hécate II,' was the weapon she earned after killing the mini boss.

Eyes wide, she clicked the accept button without thinking, and PGM Hécate II fell into her hands.

'It's... beautiful,' she murmured. Smiling, she equipped her new sniper and proceeded to exit the dungeon. 'This weapon will make me strong,' she said to herself.

The girl stopped, remembering her past, then continued on. She will become the strongest, and nobody would stop her. This world, Gun Gale Online, will know and recognize the player named Sinon, as the strongest player.

 **Soooo, what do you guys think? I ended up combining chapters 1 and 2 just to make the chapters longer and more enjoyable. Also, I just want to point out that I'm not a hardcore SAO fan, even though I** _ **am**_ **a huge weeaboo. Anyway, please review, follow/favorite and all that stuff, and I guess I'll see you in the next chapter :)**

 **P.S - I also need a proof-reader and someone to help me flesh out ideas**

 **-Striderm8**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **As you are reading this, I'm currently working on the third chapter of this fanfic. Hope you guys enjoyed the last one though! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy :)**

As Kirito stepped back nervously, the man stepped forwards menacingly, glaring daggers right at him, his eyes full of fire.

Gulping, Kirito quickly stammered, 'I-I'm sorry for running into yo-' only to be interrupted by the hulking figure whose voice was deeper than the Pacific Ocean.

'Nah kid,' he said calmly. 'Shoulda checked to see if anyone was walking by.' He chuckled at the confused boy who looked stunned, scratching the back of his head. 'Anyway,' he said with smile,'I'll be off. Good luck kid.' And just like that, the man walked down the pathway, his party slowly trailing after him.

'Thank god,' Kirito muttered to himself, rubbing his neck. 'At least I know that not _everybody_ is a huge douche'

Looking up, he read the store sign which said "Gun Store". Sighing, he stepped forward into the store, the door closing behind him silently.

As he stepped inside, he looked around the store, his mouth slightly open in amazement at all the weapons that surrounded him. Shining Pistols, Dull colored Submachine Guns, Sharp-looking Sniper Rifles and Glowing Assault Rifles were all on display in their racks behind a glass window, twinkling from the white light that hung overhead.

'Oh, wow,' he whispered, still surprised by his surroundings. 'I didn't expect it to be this awesome!' _I'll have to invite Klein to come play this with me one day,_ Kirito thought to himself as he turned away from all the weapons. As he turned around, he saw a girl walk past the gun store.

' _She might know her way around here,'_ he thought. _'Besides, I'm lost in this place and I don't need more accidents happening'_

Quickly stepping outside of the store again, he saw the girl up ahead and jogged over to her, his boots creating dull thuds as they touched the cold concrete.

'Excuse me,' he called out, waving his hand. 'I'm new to this game, and I was wondering if you could show me the basics.' _I'm also lost,_ Kirito thought to himself _, but she doesn't need to know that._

The girl stopped and frowned, wondering who was calling out to her. _'I wonder what this guy wants,'_ she thought to herself. _'Oh well, I may as well help them, I've got some time before I need to sign up.'_

As she turned around, Kirito stopped moving and stood still, utterly surprised at the girl who looked at him. Her powder-blue hair was cut short, her bangs tied up on both sides of her forehead with metal clips on the side. Her eyes were light blue, bright and piercing. She wore a green jacket with a white scarf that was lined with black over the top of her jacket with black pants and boots.

 _'She's pretty cute,'_ Kirito thought in his head _._

'Umm... Hello?' The girl was waving her hand in front of the boy who had blanked out.

'Oh!' Kirito jumped, literally, snapping out of his thoughts.

'Geeze,' the girl muttered. 'You ask for my help, and then blank out?' Sighing, she asked him. 'Anyway, what do you want?'

'Want?' Kirito replied confused, scratching his cheek absent-mindedly. ' Oh, right! I was wondering if you could show me around this place. It's just that I transferred from another game and I don't really know my way around here yet, and I was hoping you'd be able to help me.'

'Hmm,' the girl looked Kirito up and down. The boy was still smiling at her, his eyes closed, still scratching his cheek absent-mindedly. He was in basic starting gear, black pants, combat boots, a gray jacket lined with black and a pistol equipped to his hip in a holster. Apart from that, he had a nice face, even if it was a bit feminine. 'I suppose I can,' the girl eventually responded, 'but on one condition.'

Kirito sighed mentally. Of course there was a condition. Why couldn't life be simple for once?

'Of course,' he replied. 'What's the condition?'

'You'll see,' she replied. 'Oh yeah, I never introduced myself. The name's Sinon, nice to meet you.' She held out her hand for him to shake.

'The names Kirito. Nice to meet you, Sinon san,' Kirito replied, shaking her hand. 'So,' he continued, rubbing the back of his neck, 'where are we going?'

 _A couple minutes later_

'So,' Kirito said, 'you want me to try and beat a game called _Untouchable,_ and if I lose, you won't help me?

Sinon nodded her head. 'Exactly. Even though you're a newbie, I don't need you dragging me around unless you can carry your own weight. Besides, I promised I would help you, _if_ you can beat the game.'

'Gotcha. Anything else I need to know?' Kirito asked nonchalantly.

Sinon thought back to what she explained earlier. She remembered him telling her that we was a complete newbie and had transferred over from a game. He didn't even know what _Bullet Prediction Lines_ were.

 _'_ Um, Sinon?' Kirito was waving his hand in front of her face. 'Sinon san?' Sighing, Kirito poked Sinon in the cheek, causing her to jump out of her daze.

With a squeal, she slapped Kirito. 'WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!' She shouted furiously.

'I was asking if there was anything else I needed to know, but you just blanked out on me.' Kirito shrugged his shoulders. 'Besides, I couldn't think of another way to make you snap out of it.'

'Shut up!' Sinon had turned away and was blushing furiously. _What the hell was that?_ Speaking again to Kirito, she said quickly, 'No, there's nothing else you need to know, either. Now hurry up and go or I'll just leave you behind!'

Gulping nervously, he queaked out, 'Yes Mam!' And raced off towards the game.

 _She is scarier than any boss I've fought in SAO,_ he thought.

Still slightly embarrassed, Sinon turned and looked at the boy run towards _Untouchable_. Seeing him hurry like that made her laugh, even if it was for a couple of seconds. Quickly stifling the laugh, she proceeded to glare daggers into his back as he turned around, giving her the thumbs up.

'Eep!' Kirito squeaked as he quickly jumped turned around. 'Sinon's definitely scarier than any boss in SAO,' he muttered to himself as he placed his hand on the console, paying the fee to enter.

 _3..._

Kirito looked back at Sinon who just stared back at him, no emotions in her face.

 _2..._

A crowd started to form, creating a commotion as they watched Kirito prepare himself.

'No sweat,' he said to himself. 'This should be easier than to do then learning how to fly in ALO. God, that was a pain.'

 _1..._

'I'll betcha ya that the kid won't even make it pass 10 meters,' Kirito heard a man say behind him. Ignoring them, he looked straight ahead, smiling as he faced a new challenge.

 _Go!_

With a moments hesitation, Kirito bolted straight down the middle of the path, leaving a small trail of dust behind him.

'You Loser!' The cowboy aimed his revolver at Kirito, preparing to shoot. Three red lines popped up in his POV.

 _So this is what Bullet Prediction Lines look lik_ e, he thought to himself as he kept running. Quickly stepping to the side, he dodged the three bullets that whistled harmlessly past him. Still sprinting forwards, the cowboy shot three more bullets which he easily sidestepped again. A beep could be heard as Kirito passed the white line in the ground.

'No way,' Sinon murmured. 'He's already past the 10 meter mark?' _I thought he was just a newbie,_ Sinon thought. _But look at him go! You'd think that he's lived in this world since day 1!_

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she resumed watching the boy sprinting towards the A.I cowboy.

'You lose!' The cowboy aimed his shining revolver and shot almost instantly, making the Bullet Prediction Lines useless. Kirito, however, simply slid under all 6 bullets and continued running.

Getting up, he yelled, 'You're out of bullets!' Running straight at the cowboy, he saw the coyboy's eyebrows scrunch together. Smiling, Kirito kept on sprinting without slowing down.

'Game Over, Kid!' The cowboy pulled out an energy pistol and sprayed directly in front of him, making it near impossible to survive. The A.I smiled, only to see a flash of onyx hair and feel someone's hand touch his stomach. A rumbling behind only meant all the credits had come flowing out of the store, golden coins sliding against each other. At first, only a couple, then hundreds, then thousands. The counter above store read - _300,00,_ which quickly dropped to 200,000, then 100,000. After a few more seconds, it read – _0._

'NOOOOOO!' The A.I fell to its knees, clutching its head with both hands.

 _Game Over, Winner – Kirito_

Exhaling all the air out of his lungs, Kirito stretched his body as the menu popped up with a _ding_.

'Hmm,' Kirito thought out aloud. '300,000 credits, huh? That'll be handy.' Turning around, he saw the crowd that had formed was murmuring in shock. Nobody had ever beaten that game before, thus why 300,000 credits had been stockpiled up.

Kirito sighed and looked around for Sinon, rubbing his neck as he did. As he stepped out of the long pathway that lead towards the cowboy, the A.I stood up, barking a challenge at the nearest player, acting like nothing happened.

'Wow.' Sinon whispered to herself without even realizing. That guy, Kirito, beat a game that was supposed to be _impossible._ She bit her lip angrily, wondering why he had approached her in the first place.

 _If he's that good, why even bother asking for help?_ She wondered to herself. _He did say that he transferred from another game. I wonder what it was?'_

Sinon clenched her hand, then looked around. Kirito was wondering around the crowd looking for her, calling her name out casually like he was looking for a lost puppy. Smiling, she realized she could use him to get her name out there.

'She didn't leave me, did she?' He was curious to why he couldn't find to the girl with powder-blue hair. Kirito thought she would stand out in a crowd with bright hair like that. Sighing, he walked towards the exit, hoping that she would be outside, waiting for him.

'What's that sigh for?'

Jumping, Kirito spun around to see Sinon behind him. Seeing her face, he relaxed and grinned.

'Just the person I was looking for,' he said happily. 'You made a promise, didn't you?'

Sinon looked behind her at the crowd who was looking at her in disbelief before she turned back around to Kirito.

'Yeah, I suppose I did.' She replied nonchalantly. 'So, where do you want me to take you?'

'No way,' she heard someone say. 'Sinon, _the_ Sinon? Why's she with that guy?'

'Hmm,' Kirito racked his brains for what he wanted to do first. 'I know!' He clapped his hands together, a big smile on his face. 'Let's go to the gun store! I need your professional advice on what I should get.'

'Alright then,' Sinon said, not really listening.

She was intent on leaving before she heard one player say to one of his friends with a snicker, 'Hey, you don't think that they're dating, do you?' His friend laughed at the suggestion, and Sinon quickly looked back at Kirito who was, slowly but surely, going very red in the face.

"Sinon,' Kirito said hurriedly, ' we're going.' He grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the exit, ignoring the curses and insults that she threw at him.

 _Geezes, she sure knows how to swear,_ Kirito thought to himself as he dragged her through the exit, still blushing from the players statement.

'What the hell was that for?' Sinon said angrily for the second time today to her new acquaintance.

'I, um... Well...' Kirito sighed. 'Let's just keep going, I need to get my equipment before I log off for the day.' He set off at a brisk pace back from where they came before, not even listening to Sinon yelling at him to come back.

'Fricking idiot,' she mumbled to herself as she fidgeted with her scarf. 'Wait up, Kirito!' She called out to the player who was quickly walking away. Sighing, she jogged up to him and slapped Kirito, hard.

"Oww!' Kirito raised his hand to his now glowing bright-red cheek before glaring at Sinon who gave him an innocent smile. 'What was that for?'

'For not waiting.' Sinon replied as she matched his walking speed. 'I was calling out for you to wait up, but you kept walking.' Not waiting for his response, she said to him, 'I'll take you to the gun store and show you around, but after that, I need to be somewhere.'

Kirito shrugged his shoulders. 'Fine by me.'

 _10 minutes later..._

'Alright, so what type of gear you looking for?' Sinon asked Kirito as they stepped into the gun store. 'I remember you saying you transferred over from another game, mind if I ask what it was?'

Kirito wandered over to a window that was in the corner of the store before responding. 'Well, the game's called Alfheim Online, ALO for short.' Before Sinon could respond to him, Kirito gasped and called her over.

'What? See something you like?' Kirito nodded and pointed towards a lightsaber handle.

'GGO has stuff directly from Star Wars? _'_ She mused. 'Well, I suppose it's not _that_ surprising. This game has weapons from everything.' Looking towards Kirito who was staring at the weapon, she stifled a grin. He looked like a dog begging for a bone with that look on his face.

Opening the menu to purchase weapons, she scrolled through until she found the _Swords_ category.

'It's called a Photon Sword,' she said to Kirito who turned to look at her, eyes wide open from excitement. 'Comes in 5 different colors. Lets see here...' Clicking on the Sword, the 5 colors you could choose from came up. 'Red, blue, purple, yellow and green.'

She heard Kirito open his menu and looked over.

'Kirito, wait a sec-' too late, she thought as Kirito clicked the purchase button. Immediately, a robot floated over to him with his new photon sword resting in its hands. Picking it up, the robot floated away and Kirito stared at the sword in awe. True, he preferred using a longsword, but he had always wanted to use a lightsaber before.

'It's so cool!' He shouted aloud. Turning it on, a beam of purple light came out. The beam of plasma was as long as a longsword, but was a cylinder in shape. The purple light reflected off of the weapons and mirrors in the store. Without hesitation, Kirito slashed forward with a combo he used in ALO.

Sinon watched in fascination as Kirito slashed around with his new Photon Sword. _Just what type of game is ALO?_

'Ahem,' Sinon cleared her throat. Kirito turned around, realized what he was doing, blushed with embarrassment, turned off his new weapon and clipped it to his waist.

'S-sorry Sinon san,' he said meekly, scratching his cheek. 'I guess I got carried away.'

'Clearly.' The sniper's tone made him gulp nervously. 'Anyway,' she said. 'Since you're _clearly_ not going to give up using that stupid sword-' Kirito stepped back nervously, holding his new toy in case she tried to steal it. 'You won't be getting a machine gun then. Come on, you'll at least need a sidearm.' Walking towards the window holding the pistols, Kirito followed her slowly, making sure she didn't try anything with his sword.

'Umm, Sinon? I'm contempt with my sword, so why do I need a sidearm?' He asked.

Sinon sighed and turned around.

'Okay, listen here baka,' she said with a tone of someone giving a lecture. 'Your sword won't cut it in this game, no matter how skilled you are. It's a game about _guns_ for Christ's sake. Sometimes you won't be able to cut the gap between yourself and your opponent, so having a sidearm will be handy for shooting them, and your sword's energy won't last forever either.

Kirito blinked, still taking in everything she said. 'So, you're saying I need a sidearm in case of emergencies?'

'Pretty much.'

'Alright then.' Walking up to the window Sinon was standing in front of, Kirito said. 'So, what type of sidearm do you think I should get?'

'Hmm, what about this one?' She pointed towards an FN Five-Seven which glinted in her direction. 'With the money you have, it'll be cheap, and it's a pretty good sidearm as well,' she said to Kirito who was staring at the rack.

'I'll go with your advice on this, Sinon,' he grinned. 'After all, you _are_ the professional here.' Kirito's smile was quickly wiped off his face with the glare he received by Sinon.

Gulping, Kirito bought up the menu and paid for the FN Five-Seven.

 _1 hour later..._

'Wooh!' Kirito stretched as he exited the store with Sinon. 'Who knew shopping could be so tiring?' He looked at Sinon as she walked out. 'Umm, Sinon?' She didn't respond.

Sighing, Kirito poked her in the cheek again, causing her to shriek and jump backwards.

'Wakey wakey sunshine,' he grinned as he dodged the fist that came towards him. 'What were you thinking about this time?'

'Shut up and let me hit you!' Sinon leaped forward and landed on Kirito, forcing him to the ground. As he smiled, she brought her fist down, and with a satisfying _CRACK! s_ he got up.

'That was so much more painful then last time,' Kirito mumbled as he felt his face.

'Serves you right,' Sinon said as she looked away. Eventually, she turned around and offered her hand to him.

Suspicious that Sinon was going to try something, Kirito carefully got up with her help and said, 'thank you'.

Sighing, Kirito looked at his reflection in the store window.

'At least you didn't ruin my new gear,' he said to Sinon.

'Mmm.' She responded without listening.

Sinon was busy admiring Kirito's new look. He had replaced his starting jacket with a coat of pure black with silver accents and kevlar lining. The end of the coat stopped just below his knees, where he now wore black combat pants that were as tight as jeans. His boots were now black, Hi-tops with silver linings that came up past his ankles. He wore a a plain black shirt that was lined with kevlar as well in case his coat wasn't enough. His sword was clipped to his waist on his right, and his pistol was holstered on his back around his waist. His gloves were black as well, fingerless to help him use his sword.

'Still though,' Kirito's voice brought Sinon back from her daze. 'Black still suits me, even in a different game.' Sinon couldn't help but agree.

Stepping back to let him admire himself, she opened her menu to check the time.

 _Crap! I'm going to be late if I wait any longer!_

'Hey, Kirito!' She called out, startling the boy. 'Sorry, but I need to be somewhere right now! I swear, I'll be back after I sign up for this tournament!'

Kirito turned around and stepped towards her. 'You mean Bullet of Bullets?' He asked nonchalantly. 'I was actually going to go sign up for it, but I've got no idea where it is.'

Sinon stared at Kirito. _He's signing up for BoB even though it's his first time?_

'Well, you may as well come with me then,' she said quickly. Grabbing his arm, she rushed off, dragging Kirito with her. 'Hurry, we don't have much time before we sign up!' She yelled as Kirito complained. Letting go of his shoulder, she rushed towards a vehicle rental store and got a quad bike. Kirito caught up and hopped on without questions.

Revving the engine then taking off, Sinon said to Kirito, 'If I'm late to this, I'm going to kill you.'

Nervously, Kirito responded. 'Please don't.'

 **So, that's the end of chapter 2, I hope you guys enjoyed this. I'm trying to not rush the chapters of the story out, same goes for the main storyline. Don't worry, we're getting into the action soon :) And yes, I know this chapter is way longer than the last one, but this is how I wanted to do it to begin with.**

 **Don't forgot to favorite/follow, all that good stuff.**

 **-Striderm8**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **So, I know nothing** _ **eventful**_ **has happened yet, but this chapter's the starting point for the main problem. Also, there's action. :)**

 **Hope you guys enjoy**

A girl with powder-blue hair and a boy with onyx hair sat on a quad bike that was roaring down a highway towards the center of SBC Glocken. They were late to a tournament, and the boy hoped that they made it in time.

 _2 minutes later..._

'Hurry up!' Sinon shouted at Kirito as she sprinted towards the building that was holding the tournaments participants. Panting heavily, she reached the front doors and quickly stepped inside, with Kirito not too far behind. From there, she headed to a cubicle that was empty and quickly pressed on the screen. In a hurry, she filled out the details and pressed the circle at the bottom.

A female's voice crackled to life and said in monotone, 'Thank you, and welcome to the 3rd Bullet of Bullets Tournament. You are contender #117.'

'Thank god,' Sinon sighed in relief, wiping away the sweat that was forming on her forehead. She looked to her right to see Kirito frowning at his screen.

'You all good?' Sinon asked.

'Huh,' Kirito turned and looked at Sinon. 'Yeah, I'm all good.' He clicked the circle at the bottom, finishing his entry. The same female voice crackled to life again, informing Kirito he was contender #119.

'Aren't you lucky,' Sinon said. 'We're fortunate we got here in time to get in.' Smiling, she looked at Kirito and said. 'So, I've worked up an appetite, wanna go get something to eat?'

Kirito looked away and thought about her offer. 'I suppose so, I'm a bit hungry as well.' He looked at Sinon, who, for some reason, looked really sad.

 _Oh, why not, shes shown me around so I may as well pay her back_.

'I'll pay. I kinda owe you one after you helped me out today.' Kirito scratched the back of his neck, giving into the girl's trick.

Sinon's expression immediately brightened, and she smiled, 'Thanks Kirito! I know this really good place that we can go to. I've only been once before, but I think you'll enjoy it!' Happy that her guilt-tripping worked, she walked outside with Kirito following behind her.

 _45 minutes later..._

'Ahh,' Sinon sighed, stretching her arms as she finished her food. 'That has got to be the best meal I've had since I've been here. Thanks for paying Kirito.'

'Sure...' Kirito looked out the window of the restaurant, looking at the skyscrapers that were racing each other upwards.

When Sinon said the food was good, she wasn't lying, but she did forget one important fact. The cost. When Kirito saw the price, he yelped in surprise and nearly went and looked for another place to eat until Sinon glared fiery daggers at him.

 _Speaking of another place to eat..._

'Sinon,' Kirito said cheerfully. 'I really enjoyed this meal today, but I was wondering if there happened to be a place nearby that sells ice cream.'

Sinon looked at Kirito suspiciously, wondering why he asked.

'Yeah, why?'

'Just wondering,' he said, slowly trailing off. 'Anyway, I should get going now.' Kirito stood up and was about to head off, but thought otherwise and opened his menu.

*Ding!*

 _Kirito wants to be your friend..._

 _Accept/Decline_

Kirito turned to look at Sinon, but she remained where she was, not moving a muscle as she sipped her milkshake.

'Umm... You don't have to accept that if you don't want to,' Kirito stammered. 'Anyway, thanks for today, Sinon. I never thought this place would be that hard to navigate.' Kirito said hurriedly as he started walking away towards the elevator. 'I guess I'll see you at the preliminaries at BoB.'

'Yeah,' Sinon nodded her head slightly. 'Seeya Kirito.' Watching him walk away into the elevator and disappearing, she sighed and put down her drink, looking at his friend request.

 _Kirito wants to be your friend..._

 _Accept/Decline_

'I suppose I can add him,' Sinon murmured. Raising her hand, she pressed _accept,_ then looked out the window at the city, taking in the sight of the dull skyscrapers and the bright neon lights.

'He's different.'

 _2 days later..._

Sinon sat in a corner booth by herself as she watched a TV screen showing the current battle.

'That idiot...' She said to herself, taking a sip of her drink. She didn't actually think he'd use his sword as a weapon in the preliminaries. Sighing, she continued watching Kirito as he took cover behind a stone wall.

 _'Crap,'_ Kirito thought as he dived behind a low stone wall. Peeking over cover, he saw multiple red lines coming for him. Eyes widening, he ducked back under cover as a hailstorm of bullets passed overheard, chipping away at his cover.

Looking up at his health bar that was in the top left of his HUD, he saw that he was close to yellow. He knew that he had got one good hit on his foe, but he knew that his sword wasn't enough to beat him.

'Fine, damnit.' Kirito muttered. Reaching behind his back, he grabbed the FN Five Seven and held it in his left hand, taking the safety off as he readied his photon sword. As soon the bullets stopped, he placed a hand on the wall and vaulted over, springing over the wall with ease. Sword at the ready, he became aware of more _BPL_ (Bullet Prediction lines) aimed right at him.

'Come on,' Kirito gritted his teeth. 'This better work.'

Flourishing his sword, he got ready to attack. As soon as he saw the bullets, he struck. Racing forward, he met the first bullet head on, slicing upwards, cutting the metal in half with ease. More of its family came to meet him, but Kirito responded almost instantaneously by sweeping his sword sideways, spinning as he did, making the metal disintegrate in the photon sword's plasma. Slicing sideways, thrusting forwards, Kirito blocked and destroyed every bullet, even deflecting some back in the direction whence it came and returning the favor by shooting his pistol in his opponents general direction. After cutting the last bullet in half, Kirito crouched and raised his left hand, closed his right eye and breathed in, aiming down the iron sights, his right hand coming to the bottom of the pistol for support, the photon sword glowing brightly in the evening sunlight...

BANG! BANG! The sound of bullets colliding, scraping against each other, a yelp of surprise, then silence.

...

 _Winner – Kirito_

Sinon stared in disbelief at the TV screen as Kirito was enveloped in a blinding light, disappearing as he teleported back into the lobby.

'W-what the,' Sinon said in disbelief. 'What type of reflexes do you need to cut bullets in two? That's impossible...'

She had no trouble keeping up with the fight until the last 10 seconds. It had all happened so quickly. Kirito had leaped out of cover, a shining pistol in one hand, a purple lightsaber in the other. Without a care in the world, he had flourished his sword, then suddenly darted forward. Sinon thought he was crazy, until she saw the sword slice through the first bullet. She thought her eyes were deceiving her as she watched Kirito slice up, down, left and right, even spinning around and jumping to deflect or dodge the hailstorm of death flying directly at him, and he even had enough time to shoot back between blocking and dodging! Then, he did even something more absurd. Kirito shot two bullets, one destroying the one about to hit his heart, and the other landing a direct headshot in his foe's head, resulting in game.

Still in disbelief, Sinon didn't notice Kirito return until he poked her cheek and said, 'Earth to Sinon san, earth to Sinon san, over.'

Shrieking, Sinon jumped, but sighed with relief that it was just Kirito.

'Asshole,' she muttered as she regained her composure, raising her hand to her head to fix up a stray piece of hair that she just noticed.

Chuckling, Kirito went and sat on the other side of the booth she was in, ordering a thickshake as he got comfortable.

'So, how was it?' Kirito asked, raising an eyebrow as he did. 'How'd my first game in GGO against another player go?'

Sinon stared at Kirito as she took in those words. 'Pretty well, I suppose,' she responded eventually. 'More importantly...' Sinon reached over the table and grabbed Kirito's shirt, lifting him up, her other hand ready to punch him. 'WHAT THE HELL KIRITO!' Sinon shouted angrily. 'YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT YOU WERE THAT GOOD!'

Kirito, clearly frightened by the face Sinon was giving him, gulped nervously and began speaking rather quickly, shaking his hands at the same time. 'W-well, Sinon san, I'll tell you everything if you let me go.

Sinon stared daggers at him as she pondered what to do. Sighing, she let go of his shirt and sat back down, folding her arms as she watched Kirito visibly relax as his thickshake arrived.

'Fine, but spill.'

Grabbing his drink and taking a sip of it, he placed it back down on the table and said, 'Well, you know how I cut those bullets? Sinon nodded her head. 'There was barely anytime to dodge once the _BPL_ came up, so I took a risk and tried to deflect the bullets. I've got pretty fast reflexes, but the main problem was where the bullets were gonna go, so I took another gamble and tried to predict where they were going to go and it just happened to work out.'

'Wait,' Sinon was confused. 'Predicting where the bullets go? That's near impossible! Anyway,' she continued on. 'What about when you shot him? How'd you know to shoot twice? And more importantly, how the hell did you stop his bullets with one of your own?!'

Kirito laughed nervously. 'Umm, well...' He went quiet suspiciously quick.

A thought came up in Sinon's head. _He couldn't be, could he?_

 _'_ Kirito san,' Sinon said in an innocent voice. 'You aren't _cheating_ , are you?' She gave him a smile.

'What?' Startled, he sat up and started waving his hands in front of him. 'No, I don't cheat. I just took a couple of guesses and got lucky.' Kirito scratched the back of his head and gave Sinon a nervous laugh.

'Hmm,' Sinon stared at the onyx haired boy who smiled nervously at her, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. She was yanked away from her thoughts at the loudspeaker crackled to life.

 _Contender #117 and Contender #120, please make your way to the teleportation pads. The match starts in 2 minutes._

 _'_ Oh shit.' Sinon darted up from her seat and quickly waved to Kirito as she walked away. 'Wish me luck!' She called out.

Kirito waved back at her as she left. 'Good luck,' he said to himself as he turned to the TV screen. Sipping his drink, he waited patiently for the match to start as the timer countdown began.

 _10..._

Kirito drained his thickshake and placed it back on the table.

 _9..._

A robot floated over, whirring as it picked up the glass and moved away.

 _8..._

Kirito yawned, raising his hand to cover his mouth.

 _7..._

Bored, Kirito opened his menu and scrolled through.

 _6..._

Tapping on messages, he remembered to thank Sugu for last night.

 _5..._

Clicking on her name, Kirito quickly sent her a message apologizing for last night and thanking her for the support.

 _4..._

Smiling, Kirito went to close the menu, only for a notification to pop.

 _3..._

'She couldn't have replied that quickly,' he mused, re-opening his menu and scrolling to his messages.

 _2..._

Looking at his menu, he read the message, his eyes darting side to side, reading each line quickly but carefully.

 _1..._

Eyes widening with horror, Kirito looked at the TV screen as Sinon spawned in, her sniper at the ready.

 _START!_

 **So, this chapter has a bit more action in it which I'm happy about. Don't worry though, it's bound to get more interesting in the next couple of chapters.**

 **Don't forgot to follow/favorite, all that good stuff.**

 **-Striderm8**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **So, to answer your questions Takato, Kirito looks exactly like his SAO character at the moment, minus the elucidator. I** _ **do**_ **have a new look planned out for him though. With the part where he destroyed all the bullets though, I** _ **may**_ **have forgotten to add some details about his opponent's weapon which was going to be a** **Heckler & Koch G3A3. With the GGO death game thing you asked, all will be revealed soon :) Also, Kirito messaged his sister through the system. I had an idea in my head that he could still contact his friends even though he was in GGO, and I have an idea for a future chapter that'll be relying on this. Also, sorry that my Grammer, and speeling isn't perfect. I don't have a proofreader or anybody that could check for me, so there'll be some errors along the way. ****Phoenix, don't you worry, this story will be going for a long time. Also, I don't think I'll be following the original storyline either, though I may use it from time to time.**

 **Also, this chapter is probably going to be released late as I'm currently watching Code Geass which is making me slightly sleep deprived :)**

 **Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _Winner – Sinon_

Wiping her brow and getting to her feet, Sinon sighed in relief. Her opponent was an AGI type, a run-and-gun player who was slowly starting to piss her off. As Sinon was teleported back into the main lobby, she grumbled.

'God that was painful. I think I'll make Kirito get me a drink when I get back.' Making towards the booth she had left Kirito in, she frowned as she arrived. An onyx-haired boy awaited her, his head resting on his folded arms that were on the table, his mouth slightly open. Sighing in disbelief, Sinon sat down on the opposite side and ordered a drink, staring at the sleeping boy in front of her.

 _3 minutes later..._

Kirito opened his eyes slightly as he felt someone poke his head. Moving slowly, eyes still closed, he stretched his arms above his head, hand quickly coming down to stifle the yawn that still escaped through his fingers. Opening his eyes, he saw a blue-haired girl glaring at him, her arms crossed.

'Oh,' Kirito said sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he spoke. 'Hey, Sinon. Congrats on the win.' Blinking, he watched Sinon lean over to him and raise her hand.

SMACK!

'OUCH!' Kirito yelled out in pain. Raising his hand, he poked his cheek carefully, wincing in pain as he did. 'What the hell was that for?'

Satisfied, Sinon sat back down and grabbed her drink, taking a sip as she stared at the startled boy. Placing the drink on the table, Sinon replied, 'Cause you're an idiot.'

'Huh?' Kirito was confused.

Sighing, Sinon pointed towards the nearest TV which read-

 _Battle Royale – BoB – 5 Minutes_

Upon reading what the screen displayed, Kirito looked at Sinon, even more confused than ever.

'Are you actually that dense?' Sinon sighed. 'Listen you idiot, if I hadn't come back and woken you up, you would've missed the battle royale.' Crossing her arms, she continued on. 'Besides, why the hell did you go to sleep? I've been poking your head and saying your name for the past 3 minutes and you've just been resting there, not even responding.'

'I wasn't sleeping,' Kirito responded sheepishly. 'I was watching your battle and kinda got bored from the lack of action, so I decided to take a nap.'

'Sure.'

Unsure of what to say, Kirito didn't reply, but instead opened his menu, looking to see if Sugu had responded to his message.

 _The message..._

Jumping, Kirito smashed his leg into the bottom of the table, yelping as he did. Sinon looked at him, stifling a laugh as the boy muttered curses under his breath at the table.

' _I don't know if I should tell her,'_ Kirito thought to himself as he muttered to himself, swearing quietly at the table. _'I mean, she did help me by showing me around, but this is Kayaba Akihiko. She probably won't even believe me, especially after all the news reports saying that he died after the SAO incident...'_

'Umm, Kirito? We should get going.'

 _'No, she deserves to know. At the very least, I can warn her.'_

'Kirito?'

'Huh?' Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw Sinon waving a hand in front of his face.

'Geeze, I swear,' Sinon grumbled. 'I don't understand how you're the same person who beat the impossible game _and_ cut bullets at the same time.' Looking towards the TV, Sinon read the current time left before the Battle Royale.

 _Battle Royale – BoB – 3 minutes_

'Come on, we should get going, otherwise we'll be late. I also need to check up on my equipment.' Getting up, Sinon went to walk off, only to feel Kirito grab her arm.

'Wait,' Kirito muttered. 'I need to tell you something.'

'What?' Yanking her arm free, Sinon turned around and looked at her new friend. 'What's so important that you need to tell me?'

'Well,' Kirito said, unsure of where to start now that he had her attention. 'I got a message, warning me that something bad was going to happen during the Battle Royale.'

'Message? From who?'

Kirito looked away for a second, then turned back to Sinon, staring right into her eyes. Standing up, Kirito exclaimed, 'It was Kayaba Aki!-' only to be cut off by a gasp. Sinon looked down at her combat suit which was now soaking wet, her previously half-full drink now dripping down her clothes.

Kirito stared at the girl who looked at herself in disbelief. He looked down towards where the drink had mainly hit, and saw that her black combat shorts were slowly becoming transparent, showing him that she had black panties...

'PERVERT!' Sinon raised her hand and smashed it against Kirito's face, sending him flying into the booth with a crash. Her face glowing bright red, Sinon ran off towards a private room, quickly closing the door behind her.

'Ouch...' Kirito muttered as he rubbed his face gingerly. 'She sure knows how to pack a punch.' Getting up slowly, he made his way out of the booth and headed towards the main lobby. 'I guess I made her mad, didn't I?' Sighing, Kirito entered the main lobby and rested in a pod, waiting for the moment he would be teleported into the game area. Swiping open his menu, Kirito equipped his photon sword and pistol as somebody entered the pod. Looking up, he saw Sinon walk past him, not even registering his existence.

'Sinon, I-' looking at the girl who had her back to him, he sighed, knowing it would be hopeless to even try.

Sinon kept her back turned to the onyx-haired boy she was ignoring. Opening her menu, she scrolled through to her equipment list. 'Turn around,' Sinon ordered. 'I'm changing, and don't even _think_ of turning around you pervert.' Without waiting for a response, Sinon unequipped her gear, leaving her standing there in her underwear.

As Kirito faced his back to Sinon, he heard her start unequipping her gear. Blushing slightly, he opened his menu and tapped on the message from Heathcliff, trying to ignore the rustling coming from behind. Eyes narrowing as he read, Kirito relayed the message through his head, trying to figure out what Kayaba's true intentions were. Kirito was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sinon say that she was finished.

Grumbling angrily, Sinon moved forwards to slap the black haired teen. 'Kirito! I swear-' Sinon stopped in her tracks a she saw Kirito reading a message. Looking at the first line, she saw a name.

 _'Heathcliff?'_

Upon hearing Sinon's voice, Kirito quickly closed his menu and turned around. 'Uhh, Sinon?' He said nervously. 'Sorry about before. That was an accident.'

'Hmph,' Sinon crossed her arms and glared at Kirito. After a few more seconds of glaring daggers at the black-clad teen, Sinon turned away and sat at the opposite side of Kirito. 'I suppose I could forgive you,' she muttered.

Kirito sighed in relief.

'But you owe me a full course meal after this!'

'WHAT!' Kirito shouted as he jumped to his feet. 'Do you know how much it cost me last time? I'd have to sell my gear to pay for all the food you'd order!'

'Not my problem,' Sinon replied, a hint of a smile on her lips. 'Anyway, get ready. Once we teleport out into the battlefield, I'll see you as an enemy.' Taking PGM Hécate II off her back, she lovingly stared at the gun, ignoring Kirito who was still standing up.

'Fine.' Sitting back down, Kirito looked at the monitor that hung in the center of the room.

 _Battle Royale – BoB – 10 seconds_

Looking back at Sinon, he pondered if should try to tell her again, then shook his head.

 _'No, I'll keep this to myself for now.'_

Feeling his body starting to disappear, he looked at Sinon and gave her the thumbs up and said.

'Good Luck.'

 _1 hour later..._

BANG!

Pulling back the bolt of Hécate, Sinon rechambered a bullet and sighed. Getting up from hiding, she scuttled over behind a tree and brought up the map.

 _'The UAV should be heading over any second now,'_ Sinon thought to herself. Sure enough, a couple seconds later, multiple red dots popped up on the screen, listing all the surviving players on the map. Looking around for Kirito, she didn't see his dot anywhere. Frowning to herself, Sinon got up and ran towards the bridge, jumping over roots and ducking under hanging branches. 'I hope that idiot hasn't died yet,' she mumbled to herself as she made her way out of the forest. Realizing what she had just said, Sinon blushed slightly. Shaking her head, Sinon saw a small rocky outcrop overlooking the abandoned bridge a couple hundred meters away. 'There, that'll do.'

 _10 minutes later..._

Laying down on her stomach, Sinon rested the stock of PGM Hécate II against her shoulder and aimed down the sights. Looking down the bridge, Sinon saw nobody nearby.

'I'm pretty sure I saw Dyne nearby,' she muttered to herself. 'And, was it Pale Rider?' Sighing, she was about get up and leave, but a rustle of leaves from behind alerted her to someone's presence. Jumping to her feet, she whipped out her pistol but was knocked over by a black mass which landed on her.

'Ouch, that hurt more than expected.' Getting off of her, a black-clad teen sat back and rubbed the back of his neck. 'Hey Sinon.'

Sinon looked the blurry figure. Rubbing her eyes, Sinon sat up and saw Kirito waving at her. 'W-What?' She said in disbelief. 'You're name didn't come up on the UAV scan, so how the hell are you here?'

Kirito frowned. 'I didn't come up on the scan?' Raising his hand to his chin, Kirito remembered where he was at the time. 'Oh, I know why.' Sinon looked at him, even more confused than before. 'Well,' Kirito explained. 'I was swimming in the river when the UAV did a scan.'

Sinon leaned against the rocks as she crossed her arms. 'Even so, your armor would've weighed you down. You would've had to unequip all your gear as you swam... Wait,' she looked Kirito right in the eyes. 'You did, didn't you?'

Kirito nervously scratched his cheek as looked away. 'Yeah, I did.'

Sinon visualized a naked Kirito swimming through the river, going past debris and wildlife. Blushing at the dirty image, she shook her head to get rid of the vulgar image. 'Anyway...' Sinon rushed forward and jumped on Kirito, knocking him over.

'Sinon, what are you doi-' Kirito said nervously, but stopped quickly. Sinon had pressed the gun-barrel of her pistol into his head.

'I told you that once we were in the battlefield, I'd see you as my enemy.' Tensing her finger on the trigger, Kirito gulped.

*Click*

Sinon sighed as she got off of Kirito. 'Of _course_ the safety's still on. Oh well.' Turning to the teen who was sighing with relief, she held out her hand. 'We'll work together,' Sinon said. 'Consider this payment for jumping me.'

Kirito looked at Sinon then shrugged. 'I won't win either way.' Taking her hand, Kirito stood up with her help. 'Come on, Sinon.' Kirito said with a smile. 'Let's go win this.

'Yeah.' Bending over, Sinon picked up her sniper, only to see multiple red lines aimed directly at her. She tried to move, but couldn't.

'Damn it!' Kirito unclipped his photon sword and activated it, a purple beam of plasma leaping out of the black and silver handle. Pushing the stunned girl down, Kirito leaped in front of the _BPL_ and took the stance he used in SAO, left hand out in front of him, right hand holding the sword out by his side.

'Alright, come at me!' Kirito yelled out. 'Sinon!' He turned to look at the girl on the ground. Sinon jerked out of her stunned state as she looked up at her friend.

'I'll buy you some time,' Kirito said quickly. 'While I do, snipe that son of a bitch.'

Nodding, Sinon replied. 'Right!' Moving off to leave Kirito by himself, she set up PGM Hécate II and looked down the scope, looking for the enemy player.

'Right,' Kirito said to himself. 'Let's do this.' Exhaling, he flourished his sword and smiled. The sound of gunfire met his ears and Kirito met the first bullet with his lightsaber, cutting the metal in half.

 _'The bullets come in a pattern,'_ Kirito thought to himself as he spun to dodge a bullet. Slashing downwards diagonally, he disintegrated 3 bullets then immediately slashed upwards, destroying more. _'While others may not notice,'_ Kirito grunted as he jumped to avoid a dangerous stray. _'They all come at you at a certain speed, depending on the weapon.'_ Cutting the last bullet with a flick of his wrist, Kirito rested, staring at the enemy who was hiding in an abandoned bus on the decrepit bridge. Ignoring the blast of a sniper that came from nearby, he watched the enemy die, a huge red hole in his chest. _'Of course, Bullet Prediction Lines make it easier to just dodge, but by predicting the speed of a bullet, you can make a calculated guess on when to strike'_. Turning the lightsaber off, he clipped it to his waist.

'Good teamwork, Sinon!' Kirito called out as the sniper walked up to him, her PGM Hécate II resting in her hands. Walking towards the approaching girl, hands in his pocket, he saw that she was looking down.

'Sinon?' Kirito reached out and stopped her from moving, both hands resting on her shoulders. 'You alright?'

Sinon nodded. 'Just a bit shocked, that's all.' Looking away, she stared at the dead body. 'If you didn't push me, I would've been eliminated from the competition.' Sighing, she shook her head and looked at the concerned boy in front of her. 'Anyway, we should get moving.' Turning away, she went to walk off, only to hear a click of a gun.

BANG!

Turning around in shock, she saw Kirito aiming his pistol at the forest, smoke rising from his FN Five Seven. Confused, she looked at where he was pointing and stifled a gasp. A man in brown boots and gauntlets wearing woodland-patterned gear stepped out of the forest, laughing as he did.

'Damn,' he laughed, looking at the hole in his chest which was glowing red. 'You're good kid.' Falling, he faceplanted against the rocky ground, the _dead_ sign appearing over his body, his brown cowboy hat falling off his head.

'Dyne?' Sinon murmered in surprise.

'You knew him?'

Sinon looked at Kirito who holstered his pistol. 'Yeah, he was the leader of the squad I was in.' Shaking her head in disbelief, she continued on. 'I haven't seen him since the day we went hunting...'

Kirito looked at the girl with turquoise hair. She seemed to be lost in thought. Sighing, he walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. 'Come on Sinon,' Kirito said calmly. 'We should get moving before the UAV scans again.' Removing his hand, Kirito went to walk off, only for his HUD to start glitching out. Realizing what was happening, he quickly turned to Sinon and started to reach out for her, only to feel his body starting to disappear.

'SINON!' Kirito felt her grab his arm and he sighed in relief as he was teleported out with her. A blinding light flashed in Kirito's eyes, and as he rapidly blinked, he saw that he was standing in the center of SBC Glocken with thousands of other players. Looking around wildly, he saw Sinon not too far away. Cursing, he ran towards her, pushing cursing players out of the way.

Sinon looked around and felt scared for the first time in days. She had grabbed onto Kirito's arm the moment she realized that she was teleporting, but still managed to get separated from him. Looking towards the sky, she saw a massive figure descend from the sky, an unidentifiable person wearing a massive cloak that covered his body.

 _'What is going on?'_ She thought to herself. Sinon looked away from the figure and once again stared at the crowd that surrounded her.

'People of Gun Gale Online,' the person who floated in the sky spoke, his deep voice rumbling across the city. 'Thank you for logging in today.'

Kirito kept pushing people out of the way who ignored him, too busy staring at the person floating in the sky.

 _'Damnit,'_ Kirito thought to himself. _'Of all the times, why now Kayaba?'_

'Now, you may be wondering who I am, but all your questions will be answered in due time.' The man spoke calmly, taking his time.

'Sinon, have to get her out of here,' Kirito mumbled to himself. Finally reaching her, he grabbed her arm.

'K-Kirito?' Sinon sighed with relief as she saw the teen reach her. 'What going o- HEY!' Sinon exclaimed as Kirito grabbed her arm and dragged her through the crowd. 'What are you doing!'

Turning to look at Sinon, Kirito kept pushing his way forward. "No time to explain, we gotta go.' Finally making their way out of the crowd, Kirito let go of Sinon's arm and turned to her. 'Do you have anywhere we can stay without being overheard?'

Sinon glared at the teen. 'How about you first tell me what the hell's going on!' She moved forward to slap Kirito, but stopped when she saw his face. When she realised that he was serious, she sighed. 'Yeah, okay.' Pointing towards the closest teleport gate, she spoke. 'We can speak at my place.'

'Then let's go, quickly.' Kirito said.

 **So, I feel like this chapter still needs more editing, and if it does, complain as much as you want. I'll come back and fix it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to favorite/follow, all that good stuff. Send me a review as well if you want too.**

 **-Striderm8**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Reaper2908, sorry about the grammar issues, I don't really check for that when I reread my work, I just go through and see what I can improve on and fix up spelling. Concerning your questions, Kayaba** _ **is**_ **dead, but his memories and all that what not were all uploaded to the SAO servers. The rest of your question will be answered later on. With the impossible game, I couldn't remember the name of it, but it's pretty much the one Kirito in Canon GGO played at the beginning to get the 300,000 credits. I'm too bothered to search up its name. About Kirito not telling Sinon about the other games he played in the past, I think I'll be using that for character development later on. And as for why Sinon keeps slapping Kirito? I just enjoy the thought of her slapping Kirito as it makes him shut up and pay attention.**

 **Primevere** **, thanks for dropping a review**

 **Also, I'd like to say right now as well that because I'm an erratic writer and can't stick to a schedule, just expect the chapters to be released randomly. I'll try my best to at least upload a new chapter at least once per week.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

'We're here,' Sinon said as she pushed open the door. Kirito followed her inside and looked around the room she was renting. It was small but cozy, a bed in the right hand corner with a table in the center of the room. The kitchen was small and rested in the left corner. As Kirito walked into the center of the room, Sinon sighed. 'Alright, spill,' she said as she collapsed on her bed face first.

Kirito pulled out a chair and sat in it as he looked at the powder-blue haired girl rest. 'Where do I begin...' He muttered.

'Speak up, I can't hear you,' Sinon said, her voice slightly muffled from her head being slowly absorbed by her pillow.

'Right.' Placing his arm on the table and resting his head on his hand, Kirito began to explain. 'So, do you remember how I had something to tell you back the booth?' Sinon remembered and lifted her face from the pillow, turning over to rest on her back.

'Yeah.'

'Well, what I was going to tell you back then is happening now,' Kirito said, his voice showing no trace of emotion.

'What's happening?' Sinon asked, twiddling with her hair as she spoke.

'Open your menu and look for your logout button.'

Frowning, Sinon sat up and raised her hand, swiping downwards to open her menu. Tapping on settings, she looked down for the logout button and gasped. 'M-My logout buttons gone!' She exclaimed. Whipping around to look at Kirito, she saw that he had a look of despair on his face. 'Explain,' Sinon glared at Kirito who just stared back at her.

Kirito opened his menu and went to his messages, tapping on the one sent by Heathcliff. 'Here,' he said. 'Read this.'

Sinon got up and walked over to Kirito, leaning over his shoulder to see the message. Reading out aloud, she spoke-

 _'Heathcliff.'_

Sinon felt a cold shiver go down her back as she read the name. Ignoring it, she continued to read.

 _'Kirito, I know that as you read this message that you'll be quite surprised with me, especially after the last time I spoke with you. I must personally thank you for uploading the seed for me, as with it, multiple games have popped up, giving me plenty of ideas to think of.'_

Taking a deep breath, Sinon continued on, ignoring the shallow breaths coming from Kirito.

 _'GGO will be the launch point for my new plan which is now perfected. I'll give you some time to leave the game if you wish. After that, however, I'm afraid you won't hear from me for sometime. I wish you luck, Kirito, on whatever path you take._

 _P.S - Nobody in BoB died_

 _\- Heathcliff_

Sinon's eyes widened as she finished the message. 'Kirito,' she said nervously, 'What does this person mean when he says a has plan?'

Without bothering to turn around, Kirito responded before she could speak again. 'Sinon, do you know who Kayaba Akihiko is?'

Unsure of what this had to do with her question, Sinon nodded. 'Yeah, I heard he made the death game SAO?'

Kirito nodded, making Sinon pale. 'Yeah, he did. In SAO, he went under the name _Heathcliff_.' Turning around, Kirito looked Sinon in the eyes. 'Do you understand the situation you're in?

Sinon's heart pulsed and her legs gave out. Before she hit the ground, something warm caught her and held her close.

'I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier,' it said as everything went black.

 _A couple hours later..._

Sinon was in a bank, sitting on the ground. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were stained red, blood dripping from them. Eyes widening in terror, she slowly looked up and saw them holding something, a Norinco Type 54 'Black Star'. Heart beating rapidly, Sinon looked up and saw the dead man leering at her, a small hole in his head, slowly dripping out crimson liquid which. Grinning, the man fell back with his mouth open, whispering one word.

 _Murderer_

Sweat pouring down her face, Sinon raised her hands to her ears, blocking the words from everyone around her as her past memories surfaced.

'Why haven't you killed anyone yet you murderer?.'

'Killer.'

'Go and die already!'

Sinon let out an ear-piercing scream, shattering the nightmare she was in. Sitting up instantly in her bed, sweat pouring down her body, Sinon breathed heavily.

'It was just a dream,' she murmured to herself. 'Just a dream, just a dream.' Holding herself in her arms, Sinon cried as she lay back down in bed. A few minutes later, she got ahold of herself and wiped her eyes. 'Damnit Shino, get ahold of yourself.' Getting up slowly, she left her bed and headed into the kitchen, only to see a plate with two sandwiches on it. Remembering that Kirito was with her, she looked around, trying to find where we was. Smiling to herself, she grabbed the plate and took it to the table where she sat down and ate.

As she swallowed the last of the sandwich, which was surprisingly tasty, the door to her apartment opened. Getting to her feet, Sinon grabbed the plate, eyes narrowing as she approached the door.

 _'3,2,1... GO!'_ She _s_ houted mentally as she rushed the door.

'Oh, you're up Sinon san.' Kirito said as he closed the door behind him. 'I wasn't sure if you were still asleep or not.' Walking past the surprised girl without even questioning why she was holding a plate in her hands above her head, Kirito walked into the kitchen and opened his menu.

Sinon followed Kirito in, confused to what he was doing. 'Uh, Kirito?' She asked. 'What are you doing?'

'Replacing what ingredients I used to make those sandwiches,' he replied as he stored all the food he had bought in the fridge.. 'You were asleep when I made them, so I thought I'd go buy some food and ingredients to replace them.' Walking out of the kitchen, he called out. 'Mind if I use your shower?'

'Yeah, go ahead,' Sinon shouted back at him. Placing the plate down in the sink, she opened her menu and went to settings. The logout button was still missing. _'So it wasn't a dream,'_ she thought to herself. Yawning, she stretched her arms as she exited the kitchen, heading back towards her bed. Changing out of her gear, her turquoise hair falling down as she unequipped her metal clips, Sinon realized that she had no nightwear to wear, so she equipped an overly large sweater that she had bought a few days ago. Slipping underneath the sheets of her bed, she listened to Kirito having a shower, wondering what was going on outside.

'Sinon?' Kirito's voice rang out as she came out of her daze. Sinon looked over at the boy who seemed concerned, realizing that she had blanked out for a couple of minutes.

'I'm still awake,' she said, sitting up slowly. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes and gazed at Kirito. He was sitting in the chair he was in before wearing simple black pants and a matching shirt. 'Sorry about before,' Sinon said slowly. 'I don't know what came over me.'

'No, no, don't apologize,' Kirito replied. 'It's partially my fault. I should've told you myself instead of showing you the message.' Getting up, Kirito walked towards the window and looked outside at the glowing city. Sighing, he looked back at Sinon who was still staring at him. 'Do you mind if I stay the night,' he asked. 'I don't really have anywhere to stay, and I still need to tell you the current situation.'

'Hmm? Yeah, sure.' Sinon looked away from him and laid back down. 'So,' she said. 'Where exactly are you going to sleep?'

Kirito stepped back from the window and walked towards the light switch, flipping it off. 'I don't know,' he replied as he sat down on a chair. 'I'll probably just sleep using one of the chairs as my bed.'

Sinon sighed in disbelief. 'Really? A chair?'

'Yep. Nothing wrong with that, is there?'

'Don't be stupid, you'll freeze!'

'Then where should I go then? Sleep in the same bed as you?'

'I... Ummm... Shut up!'

Chuckling, Kirito stood up and stretched, letting a yawn escape his mouth. 'Well then?' He asked.

'F-Fine,' Sinon mumbled, moving over to make some space. 'Just don't get any ideas or you'll regret it!'

'Got it.' Crawling into the bed, he faced his back to Sinons as he mumbled, 'Goodnight.'

Blushing slightly as she felt her back touch his, Sinon replied, 'Night.'

 _A few hours later..._

Sinon woke up from her dream and yawned silently. Turning over in bed, she saw an onyx-haired boy sleeping next to her, his back turned to her. Eyes widening, Sinon quickly checked herself to see if he had done anything to her in her sleep. Sighing with relief, she went to go back to sleep but shivered as a chill ran down her back.

'Eep!' Sinon squealed quietly, covering her mouth as to not wake the boy in front of her. Once she was sure she was fine, Sinon leaned over Kirito and looked at his face. It was quite peaceful to look at, and Sinon thought he looked quite cute. Her face going slightly red, Sinon laid back down, shaking her head as she did.

 _'Why does this keep happening?'_ She asked herself. _'I don't like him, so why do I keep doing this?'_ Sighing, Sinon gave up on trying to guess why. Instead, she slowly wrapped her arms around Kirito, using him as a heater to keep her warm. Smiling as she drifted off to sleep, Sinon snuggled closer to Kirito, pressing her whole body against his back, 'Thanks for being my personal heater.'

 _08:30 hours..._

Kirito opened his eyes slowly, taking in the morning sun rays coming through the window. Slowly sitting up, he felt someone's arms fall away from his body. Looking over, he saw Sinon beside him, her whole body pressed against him. Surprised, Kirito fell out of the bed, leaving Sinon to mumble as she grabbed where Kirito once lay.

'Geezes,' he muttered to himself, standing up. 'Don't scare me like that.' Raising his hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn with no success, Kirito made his way to the bathroom, stretching as he walked. Closing the door behind him, Kirito unequipped all his gear and stepped into the shower, turning the hot water on.

 _'I wonder if I should tell Sinon everything,'_ Kirito thought to himself as he ran his hand through his hair. _'No, I'll tell her only what she needs to know_.'

Sinon woke to the sound of someone using her bathroom. Immediately, she tensed up, only to remember that Kirito was staying with her. Sighing with relief, Sinon grabbed the sheets of the bed and pulled them closer to her, trying to salvage the warmth that remained. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep again without a sound.

Kirito opened the door of the bathroom and peered outside, checking to see if Sinon was asleep. Seeing her peacefully sleeping, he made his way out quietly. Heading towards the kitchen, he opened the fridge and frowned. 'Would Sinon like something simple like toast or something like bacon and eggs?' Kirito murmured. Making up his mind, he brought out most of the ingredients he bought yesterday . 'Alright!' Kirito said, rubbing his hands together. 'Time to cook!'

 _20 minutes later..._

Sinon rose from her light sleep and opened her eyes slowly. Hearing something cooking in the kitchen, she sat up slowly, wondering what Kirito was doing. Getting up with the speed of a sloth, she walked sleepily towards the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she did. When Sinon reached the doorwar, she leaned against the doorframe and watched in awe as Kirito cooked. Looking over, he saw Sinon and gave her a smile.

'Give me 5 minutes and breakfast will be served,' Kirito said with a smile.

Turning his attention back to breakfast, Sinon mumbled back, 'Yes sir.' As she walked out of the kitchen, Kirito lost the smile and focused on the food.

 _'I'll tell her after we eat.'_

Yawning, Sinon entered the bathroom and removed her sweater, placing it on the sink. As she went to un-equip her underwear, a warning came up, but Sinon ignored it and pressed yes. Quickly stepping into the shower, she shivered as she turned the hot water on. As the water fell onto her body, Sinon sighed in relief, feeling the warmth of the water envelop her.

Kirito heard the shower turn on as he placed two plates loaded with food on the table. 'So she's in the shower now? That's good,' Kirito murmured to himself. 'I'll have some time to relax.' Sighing, he went back into the kitchen and cleaned up his mess, thinking about how he would talk to Sinon about yesterday.

'That felt good,' Sinon said to herself as she stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel as she did. Drying herself off, she re-equipped her underwear and grabbed her sweater off of the sink. Pulling it on, Sinon looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Opening her menu, she selected her two metal clips and equipped them, making them spawn in her hand. Grabbing a hair brush from the bench next to the sink, Sinon groaned as she brushed her hair. After a couple of minutes of pain, she looked back at the mirror, satisfied with her hair.

*Knock*Knock*

'Sinon?' Kirito's voice came through the door loud and clear. 'The food's ready now.'

'Coming!' Sinon walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the table where she sat down, waiting for Kirito. A few moments later, the teen walked out of the kitchen, two plates held in each hand stacked with steaming hot food. Placing his down then Sinons, he sat down opposite of her.

'Itadakimasu!' They said in unison. Sinon immediately hooked into her food, starting with the eggs. As she cut into them, the yolk in the center spilled out onto the bacon and sausages that were resting next to it. Licking her lips, Sinon stabbed an egg and went to eat it.

'Careful now,' Kirito said with a smile as he hooked into his own food. 'Don't want you to choke now, do we?'

'Yeah, yeah, whatever.' Sinon said as she swallowed. As she continued to devour her food, Kirito sighed and leaned back, eating slowly.

'I may as well join her,' he muttered to himself. Kirito stopped leaning back and looked at his plate. 'Hmm, it's missing something...' Looking around, he saw the sauce he had bought yesterday resting on the counter in the kitchen. Smiling to himself, he got up and retrieved the bottle and sat back down. 'Now I can eat!'

 _15 minutes later..._

Sinon leaned back in her chair and sighed. 'That was unbelievably good,' she said, rubbing her stomach. 'Anyway, how the hell are you so good at cooking?'

'Well,' Kirito said, rubbing the back of his neck. 'I learned it from my gi-' Asuna flashed into his mind, her smile teasing him. 'Friend! I learned from a friend!' Kirito stammered as he forced her out of his head.

'Friend, huh? You'll have to introduce me to them one day.' Sinon said, not noticing Kirito's sudden change of tone.

'Anyway,' Kirito said, changing the topic as fast as he could. 'I was thinking of going out later to see what's going on.'

'I thought you knew what was going on,' Sinon replied.

'I have a vague idea. You remember what I told you yesterday?'

Sinon shuddered as she remembered what Kirito had said. 'Yeah. GGO has become like SAO, hasn't it?'

'Yeah.' Standing up, Kirito replied. 'I'll tell you the rest when I get back.'

'What do you mean, _when I get back_?' Sinon shook her head. 'I'm going with you whether you like it or not. Besides,' Sinon stood up and walked towards the window. 'You still don't know your way around here, don't you?'

'I... Ahh... Fine, you win.' Kirito sighed. 'Give me a minute and I'll be ready to go,' he said as he entered the bathroom.

Sinon sighed as she heard the door to the bathroom shut. Walking over to her bed, she took off her sweater and opened her menu, equipping her black pants, shirt and jacket. 'I wonder what's going on in the real world,' she murmured to herself. 'Oh well.' Looking over at the bathroom door just as it opened, Kirito stepped out wearing the same clothes he started the game with, minus the gray jacket which was replaced with a navy blue sweater.

'You ready to go?' Kirito asked as he closed the door behind him.

'Yeah, let's go,' Sinon replied as she walked towards the door. Kirito followed and shut it behind him. 'So, where exactly did you want to go?'

Kirito scratched his cheek absentmindedly as he started walking towards the elevator. 'Well, is there anywhere we can go where we can access information from the web?'

'Well, I could always rent a room with a PC,' she replied as she stepped into the elevator with Kirito. 'Apart from that, we'd have to go to an info store or find a library somewhere.'

'GGO has a library?' Kirito said stunned as he pushed the button for ground floor.

'Yeah. It's surprising, isn't it?' Sinon said while she stared at the silver doors. 'Despite GGO being a gun game, it accommodates for many other players as well.' The doors slid open and they stepped out, Sinon taking the lead. 'If you don't want to fight others or participate in tournaments, you can always go monster hunting for EXP or credits. If you're lucky, you can even get a weapon drop from hunting them.'

'Wow,' Kirito was amazed by the fact that GGO was similar in a way to SAO and ALO. 'I never knew GGO had monster hunting. I thought it was all competitive between all players.'

'It mainly is,' Sinon replied as they walked out onto the streets. 'Anyway, we're going to have to hire a vehicle again.' Pointing towards a vehicle hire station, Kirito sighed.

'Alrighty then,' he said. 'Where are we going first?'

'Info store,' Sinon said as she walked towards the station. 'Luckily, I know of one that's near a library as well.'

'That's good to hear,' Kirito responded. 'Let's get going then.'

 _30 minutes later..._

'Finally,' Kirito said, getting off the quad bike with a yawn. 'That took forever.'

'Stop complaining,' Sinon grumbled. 'If I wasn't here, you wouldn't of been able to get here. Besides, you didn't have to drive.'

'True.' Stretching, Kirito sighed with relief as Sinon got off. 'So, where's the store?'

'Just over there,' she replied as she headed off towards the store. 'Be careful though,' Sinon warned. 'This info broker is a dangerous one. You never know what her prices will be.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Kirito said as he followed Sinon into the store. Closing the door behind him, his mouth dropped. The store wasn't exactly a store.

'Umm, Sinon san,' Kirito said nervously. 'Are you _sure_ this is the right place?'

'Yeah,' she said. 'Go sit down or something, she'll be out soon.' Sinon walked towards the nearest chair and sat down, crossing her legs as she got comfortable.

Sighing, Kirito sat down in a chair opposite of Sinon and stared at the door that occupied the blank wall. Opening his menu, he scrolled through and looked through his equipment absentmindedly.

'I wonder how much it'll cost,' he murmured to himself. Looking over at Sinon, he saw her patiently waiting in her chair, eyes wandering around the room. Looking back at his menu, he saw a notification pop up in his messages. Kirito's eyes narrowed as he tapped on it, suspicious of who sent him the message. After looking at who sent it, he sighed in relief. 'It's just Sugu. I wonder what she wants.' Opening the message, he read what she wrote in his head.

 _Leafa_

 _I heard what's going on and I won't lie, I'm scared Kazuto. I don't want to lose you, and I don't want you to have to go through this again. After SAO, I thought everything would be over, but now you have to go through it all over again. Please, promise me that you'll come back safe._

Opening a message of his own, Kirito replied-

 _Leafa, don't worry, I'm fine in here. I promise I'll come back safely. I'm pretty sure the others will figure out where I am, so make sure that they don't do anything rash, including you._

Sinon looked over at Kirito, curious of what he was doing. Seeing his menu open, she wondered if he was re-reading Heathcliff's message. Sinon stood up and sighed. 'I'm done waiting,' she said to herself. Sinon walked over to the door and knocked. 'I'm coming in,' she called out as she entered. As the door opened, Sinon flicked the light switch on and looked around the room. 'Kirito, come on, I'm done waiting.'

'Huh?' Sending the message, Kirito closed his menu and moved towards Sinon. 'So we're just going in?'

'Yeah.' Sinon said. 'I'm done waiting.' Walking in with Kirito behind her, she made her way towards the door at the far end and pushed it open. 'GET UP ALREADY!' Sinon shouted at the bed that occupied the small space.

'Aah,' Kirito heard a familiar female voice groan. 'Sinonon, another 5 minutes please?'

'Fine,' Sinon replied. 'If you're not up by then, you owe me free info for the next month.

'Deal.'

Closing the door, Sinon headed towards the kitchen in the corner and started making herself coffee.

'Are you sure that's alright to do Sinon?' Kirito asked nervously.

'Of course it is,' she replied. 'Make yourself at home, Ms Sleeping Beauty will be up soon.'

'Uh, sure,' the teen replied as he laid down on a sofa. Wondering who the info broker was, Kirito immersed himself in his own thoughts but was quickly shaken out of them as he heard the same familiar voice again.

'Kii-bou?' The voice said in disbelief. Quickly standing up, he turned to see who was talking, only to find a surprised looking Argo standing in the doorway.

'Argo? What are you doing he-,' Kirito was cut off as Argo tackled him to the ground, landing on top of him. 'Ouch,' Kirito mumbled.

'Kii-bou!' She shouted out happily as she hugged Kirito tightly. 'What are you doing here?'

'Funny,' he replied as he sat up, pushing the girl off of him. 'I asked you the same thing before you tackled me.'

Sinon looked at the pair on the ground, confused with what was going on. 'Wait,' she said. 'You know each other?'

'Well,' Kirito looked at Sinon then back at Argo. 'We've been friends for a long time now. It'll take a while to explain but we're not here for that.' Standing up, Kirito offered his hand to Argo in which she accepted.

'Well,' she said. 'Now that I'm awake, whatcha guys need?'

Sinon moved over and sat down on the sofa, holding her coffee cup in both hands. 'Kirito and I came over to see if you knew what was going on.'

'Huh?' Argo was surprised. 'You don't know?'

'Well,' Sinon glared at Kirito who gulped nervously and muttered something about coffee. 'That idiot over there dragged me away before I heard anything.'

'Of course he did,' Argo said with a smile. 'I suppose he hasn't said much about it.'

'Barely anything,' Sinon replied as she took a sip of her drink. 'He said he had a vague idea of what was going on.'

'Typical,' Argo yawned. 'I suppose I'll tell you everything I know, but it'll come with a price.'

'How much?' Sinon asked.

'It'll be for free,' Kirito said as he came back. Sitting down in a chair, he held his coffee in one hand. 'Argo, you owe me a favor, remember?'

'Ahh shit,' Argo muttered. 'I was hoping that you had forgot that.' Sighing, she looked at Kirito resting and smiled. Walking towards him, she fell into the chair and rested against a surprised Kirito.

'Ahh, Argo?' Kirito said nervously. 'What are you doing?'

'I'll tell you everything you want to know if you let me stay like this,' Argo said with a smile, already feeling his warm body against hers.

Sinon looked at the two teens and wondered what their relationship was. _I wonder if they're dating,_ she thought to herself.

'Sinonon, whatcha blushing for?'

Sinon snapped out of her thoughts as she looked at Kirito and Argo who were staring at her. 'N-Nothing!' Sinon said quickly, turning away. 'Anyway, are you going to tell us what's going on or not?'

'I suppose so,' Argo said. 'I want to hear what Kii-bou thinks is going on first.'

Taking a sip of his coffee, Kirito sighed. 'Alright, I don't know how much of this is true, but I need you to confirm if what I say is true Argo.'

'Gotcha.'

'Alright then.' Clearing his throat, Kirito began to speak. 'Judging from the message Kayaba sent me, GGO has 100% become a death game.' Argo nodded as Kirito continued on. 'From this, I'm guessing he's added a massive dungeon with multiple floors in which we'll have to clear in order to escape the game. Am I right so far?'

Argo nodded as she moved slightly, making Kirito gulp nervously. 'Yep, you're right there. Kayaba has added 200 floors to the game with a whole bunch of other stuff from SAO. If this wasn't a death game, I'd say what he's doing would be an improvement.'

'I thought so,' Kirito said as he took another sip of his drink. 'Though him adding stuff directly from SAO into GGO is a surprise.'

Sinon took in everything the two just said and frowned. 'Wait a second,' she said. 'How would GGO become a death game anyway? I thought the Amusphere made it impossible for someone to die.'

'Easy,' Kirito said, surprising both Argo and Sinon. 'The Amusphere is essentially just another NerveGear. Since the logout button is gone, nobody can be automatically logged out anymore, even when they fall asleep. The microwave transmitter _was_ changed to a low frequency one, but it still has the potential to fry the human brain if the restrictions on it are removed.' Kirito sighed as the two girls looked at him, stunned from his explanation. 'It's pretty basic stuff.'

'I'm not a nerd like you!' Sinon said angrily before turning to the girl laying on Kirito's lap. 'Argo, did you get anything of what he said?'

'I got everything,' she replied with a smile, much to Sinon's surprise. 'I'm used to these explanations now.'

'Anyway,' Kirito looked down at Argo. 'I think it's about time we got going. I want to check the web to see what's going on.'

'That won't be necessary,' Argo said happily. 'I've got a PC that you can use to search the web Kii-Bou.' Sighing, she snuggled closer to the helpless teen. 'Give me 5 minutes and I'll let you use it.'

Kirito looked over at Sinon, pleading for help, but she shrugged and looked away. 'Fine,' Kirito sighed, conceding defeat. 'Only 5 minutes. Any longer and you owe me free info for the next month.'

'Fine.'

 **So, I didn't plan for this chapter to be over 5,000 words long, but oh well. I've got a proofreader now, so don't worry, most grammatical and spelling errors should be gone after this chapter. Apart from that, if this chapter is absolutely terrible, then PM or something and I'll fix it up. I'm also terribly confused right now. I'm editing the chapter in fanfic and it says that there is 5,066 words, but Microsoft Word says there's 5,413. Oh well, If anything obvious or vague is missing, tell me, I'll fix it.**

 **Don't forgot to follow/favorite, all that good stuff.**

 **-Striderm8**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **As I write this intro thing, whatever you call it, this story is currently on 666 views lol. Anyway, this chapter won't entirely focus on Kirito, it'll be more about Sugu and the other girls. Anyway, enjoy :)**

 _Two days after the GGO incident..._

'Leafa, switch!'

'Right!' Darting forward, Leafa sliced upwards with her sword, cutting the Dire Wolf in half. With a yelp, the beast exploded into thousands of blue and green polygons. With her reward menu popping up, Leafa sighed and closed it.

'No luck, Recon,' she sighed as the boy ran towards her.

'Aww,' he groaned, panting heavily as he came to a stop. 'I just need _one more_ tooth and it won't drop.'

'Whining won't get you anywhere,' Leafa said as she sheathed her sword. 'Come on, I can go for about another hour.'

'R-Right Sug-,' Recon stopped abruptly as he received a death glare from the blonde sylph. 'Sorry, I just can't help it,' he said, looking down at his feet.

Leafa sighed as she looked around. 'Oh well, let's keep looking.'

 _1 hour later..._

Sugu opened her eyes slowly and saw a familiar figure flying in the sky. Sighing, she looked away from her smiling avatar and removed the Amusphere. Yawning, Sugu got up from her bed and stretched, moaning slightly as she did.

'I wonder what I can make for dinner tonight,' she murmured as she exited her room and headed down the stairs. Before she could make it to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. 'Who could that be?' Sugu wondered as she made her way towards the door. Looking through the eye hole, she saw Keiko, Rika, Andrew, Ryotaro and Asuna. Eyes widening at their sudden appearance, Sugu unlocked the door and opened it quickly.

'Hey Sugu!' Rika said cheerfully as she walked inside, not waiting for a response.

'Liz!' Asuna exclaimed. 'It's rude to just walk into someone's house without waiting!'

Liz turned around with her hands on her hips. 'It's alright,' she said without a care in the world. 'It's Sugu, I'm sure she won't mind.'

'It's okay,' Sugu said with a smile. 'I don't mind.' Realizing that the others were out in the snow, Sugu kicked herself mentally for not letting them inside to escape the cold. 'Hurry up and come inside,' she said. 'I'll go get some hot chocolate ready.'

Walking towards the kitchen where Liz waited patiently, Sugu heard the others taking their shoes off. Entering the kitchen, Sugu started to make hot chocolate for everybody as they all sat down.

'So, why did you all come here?' Sugu asked.

'We wanted to check on you and Kirito,' Keiko said, looking around at her surroundings.

'Both of you haven't played ALO with us in days,' Asuna said, watching Sugu pouring the hot chocolate into 6 different cups.

'Well,' Sugu said as she carried over the cups to the others. 'Onii-Chan hasn't felt well, so he's been resting in his room. I've been taking care of him in the meantime.'

'You're such a good sister, Sugu,' Silica said quietly as she took a sip of her hot drink.

'So then,' Sugu looked at Ryotaro and Andrew. 'Why are you two here?'

'Well,' Andrew looked at Ryotaro who looked away before sighing. 'I came here to tell Kazuto about the project he asked me to work on.'

'Fair enough.' Sugu turned to the wannabe samurai as she sipped her drink. 'What about you?'

'I came here to check on a friend. Is there anything wrong with that?' He replied casually as he leaned back on his chair. 'So, how's Kazuto doing?'

Sugu was surprised at Ryotaro's concern for Kazuto. Shaking her head, she replied. 'He's getting better slowly. He might be able to walk around, but for only short periods of time.'

'That's a relief.' Sighing, Ryotaro drained his cup and placed it down. 'So,' he said. 'I'll be off now.'

'You're leaving already?' Liz said in disbelief. 'We just got here.'

'Yeah, I know,' Ryotaro responded as he got up and headed towards the door. 'But I prefer not to come to someone's house at 7:39 at night. Besides, I've got work early tomorrow.' Putting his shoes on, he stepped outside. 'Seeya!' Klein said as he closed the door behind him.

'Geeze, what's his problem?' Liz grumbled. 'He could've at least stayed for a while.'

'Umm, Sugu?' Startled out of her shock from Ryotaro, Sugu turned to Asuna.

'Yeah?'

'Do you mind if I go and see Kirito?' Asuna asked, her voice filled slightly with concern. 'I want to talk to him.'

'I'll go and see if he's well enough to come down,' Sugu said as she walked away towards the stairs. 'Be right back!' Reaching the second floor, Sugu walked towards Kazuto's room and knocked.

'Come in,' Kazuto's said, his voice muffled slightly by the closed door. Sugu opened the door and stepped in quickly, closing the door behind her.

'Onii-chan,' she said slightly concerned. 'Asuna wants to talk to you.' Kazuto stiffened instantly at Asuna's name, but quickly relaxed.

'Does she now?' He replied bitterly. 'Fine, I'll be down in five.'

'Alright then, I'll leave you now.' Sugu stepped outside of her brother's room and walked back downstairs to the kitchen. Halfway down the stairs, Asuna walked up past Sugu, pushing her slightly. 'Hey, what are you doing?' She said, a tad bit angry.

'I'm going to talk to Kirito,' Asuna said, her voice containing a hint of irritation. 'Now.'

Sugu was surprised at the change of tone from Asuna. Blinking, she saw Asuna try to push past her so she reached out and grabbed Asuna's arm, stopping her from advancing. 'He said he'll be down in five, so come back downstairs and wait like the others,' Sugu said, ignoring the glare she received.

'Fine,' Asuna said, shaking her arm free. 'Five minutes, but after that, I'm talking to him.' Walking back down the stairs, Asuna returned to the kitchen, Sugu catching her breath.

'What is wrong with her?' she murmured to herself.

'Don't worry about it.' Sugu turned around and saw Kazuto standing at the head of the stairs. 'I'll talk to her now, I'll just say hello to Liz and others first.'

'Are you sure?' Sugu asked nervously.

'Yeah, I'm sure.' Kazuto slowly walked down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Sighing internally, he prepared himself for the worst. 'Hey guys,' he said, mustering a smile. 'Sorry for worrying all of you.'

Liz and Keiko jumped up from their seats and spoke in unison. 'Kirito!' Keiko blushed slightly at her sudden outburst and sat back down, murmuring under her breath as she finished her hot chocolate.

'Kirito, don't worry me like that,' Liz said cheerfully. 'I'm glad that you're alright, though. I was beginning to worry.'

'Sorry,' Kazuto said meekly. 'I didn't feel well so I didn't hop on ALO at all.'

'Well, I'm glad you're alright, Kirito,' Keiko said quietly.

'Thanks Keiko.'

'Kazuto.' Looking at Andrew, he tilted his head, asking a silent question. 'Yes, it's about that,' he said, answering the teen's question. 'Mind if we talk outside about it?'

'Sure,' Kazuto responded, following the tall man outside. Once he closed the door, Kazuto turned to the shopkeeper and folded his arms. 'So, you've been able to do it then?'

Smiling, Andrew nodded. 'Yep, I managed to do it. You're able to make your own customizable gear on your PC and import them in game.'

'Thank god,' Kazuto sighed in relief. 'I've been wanting to import my own gear in for ages.'

Laughing at the teen, the shopkeeper handed him a black hard drive. 'Well, it's possible now,' he said. 'Mind you, it'll only work with this.'

'Thanks, Agil,' Kazuto said. 'I'll pay you back one day.'

'Don't worry about it,' Andrew said as he opened the door and stepped back inside, only to run into a chestnut-haired girl who squealed in surprise. 'Oh, sorry Asuna,' he apologized. Seeing her stare at Kazuto, he realized what was going on. 'I'll leave you two be,' Andrew said, heading back to the kitchen.

Once Andrew was gone, Kazuto sighed and pocketed the hard drive. 'So,' he said to his ex-girlfriend who closed the door behind her. 'What do you want?'

Asuna stepped towards Kazuto and raised her hand. Slapping him in the face, she spoke, her voice trembling slightly. 'What do I want? You hung up on me you jerk!'

Kazuto felt something arise within him. _Anger._ Clenching his hands, Kazuto let out a breath to control his irritation at the girl in front of him. 'So, I'm a jerk for hanging up on somebody who cheated on me?'

Asuna gasped slightly as she heard Kazuto spoke. 'Kirito, I-'

'My name is Kazuto,' he said, cutting her off. 'Not Kirito. Now, unless you're going to explain what you did, I have no intentions of speaking to you.'

'Kirito, I-'

'Kazuto.'

'Just shut up and listen, okay?' Surprised at Asuna's sudden outburst, Kazuto stepped back in shock. 'Do you know what I've been through Kirito? I've had to deal with your little harem that you've made all this time. I've had to keep you in line every time we played games.' Tears running down her face, Asuna raised her voice as she ranted at Kazuto. 'I protected you in SAO, Kirito, and now you're breaking up with me? I love you and yet you reject me? I _died_ for you, made food for you! I put up with all your bullshit, too!' Kazuto gritted his teeth as he felt his anger rise exponentially. 'I did _everything_ for you! Why won't you just understand?'

Asuna stepped forward to slap Kazuto again, but his anger had reached its peak. Grabbing her wrist before it hit him, Kazuto spoke angrily. 'You did everything for me? Bullshit!' Pushing her away, Kazuto stepped forward, making Asuna whimper. 'You say everything you did was for me? Then why'd you cheat on me?'

'I-I didn't cheat on yo-'

'LIAR!' Kazuto stepped forward again, making Asuna fall backwards into the snow, trembling with fear. 'I remember what you said that day. I don't love you anymore Kirito, and yet you have the nerve to say that you love me again?'

'But I do Kiri-'

'You know what I think?' Kazuto said angrily. 'I think you're in love with _Kirito_ , Asuna. But guess what? I'm not Kirito. I'm Kazuto! Kirito's just a name I use when I play games online! It really irritates me how you call me Kirito, even when we aren't playing games together and are together IRL. You say you put up with all my bullshit? I had to put up with your bullshit too Asuna! You aren't the only one who has problems! You did everything for me? Then what about the time I caught you flirting sexually with another guy? Was that for me as well?'

Asuna stared at shock at Kazuto as he panted slightly after his outbreak. After a while, she spoke, her voice trembling. 'I can't believe it. You've hated me this whole time?'

'I don't hate you,' he replied, looking away at the night sky, his anger back under control. 'But I don't like you either.' Sighing, he turned and looked at Asuna who was still crying. 'Let's just be friends for now, I've got too much too deal with at the moment.' Holding his hand out, Asuna took it. Helping Asuna to her feet, Kazuto went to let go, only for the girl to wrap him in a hug.

'I'm sorry,' she murmured. 'I promise to make it up to you.'

Kazuto didn't respond.

 _2 hours later..._

'Night Sugu.'

'Night Onii-chan.'

Sighing, Kazuto walked into his room and closed the door behind him. Seeing his PC on, he walked towards it and sat down.

'Oh yeah, the program I asked Andrew to make,' Kazuto murmured to himself. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he grabbed the hard-drive and connected it to his PC. Opening the drive and looking through its contents, he found what he was looking for and clicked on it. 'Ahh, I see how this works,' he muttered to himself.

 _1 hour later..._

Leaning backwards and yawning, Kazuto sighed as he finished his new armor design. Saving his work, he turned the PC off and looked at the nerve gear resting on his bed.

'May as well,' Kazuto murmured to himself. 'Sinon might start to worry about me.'

Getting up only to lay down on his bed, Kazuto closed his eyes as he put on his Nerve Gear, exhaling as it surrounded his head.

'Link Start!'

 **Alright, so I just did a massive fuck you to myself and procrastinated this past week. So sorry about that (not really). Anyway, massive thanks to my proofreader for helping me with this. I'll start the next chapter maybe tonight? I don't know yet, anyway, hope you guys enjoy this.**

 **Don't forget to favorite/follow, whatever it is and all that good stuff.**

 **-Striderm8**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Jjdoughboy ( - When I wrote 2 days ago after the GGO incident, I meant when Kayaba in the story appeared. This game then becomes half-like SAO with the floor clearing and stuff, and the other-half GGO with the guns and shit.**

 **Reaper2908, if you look through chapter 5, at the start you'll see this**

 _ **'GGO will be the launch point for my new plan which is now perfected. I'll give you some time to leave the game if you wish. After that, however, I'm afraid you won't hear from me for sometime. I wish you luck, Kirito, on whatever path you take.**_

 **Hopefully that clears any confusion with Kirito being able to log out. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter. I wasn't really sure on how to everyone's personalities, but I hope I got them right. If I didn't, I can always go back and fix it up. Also, I want to tell you all now that I don't have a set amount of words per chapter, but the minimum amount of words that I'll have will be 2,000. Anyway, enjoy :)**

Sinon stepped out of the shower and shivered. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around her body and looked at herself in the mirror. Her powder-blue hair rested on her shoulders, her eyes slightly covered. Moving her hair out of her face, Sinon sighed and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Looking over at the bed, she saw the onyx-haired teen still asleep.

'Geez, what a slacker,' Sinon said to herself as she walked into the kitchen. Grabbing some bread, she put two pieces in the toaster and walked back towards the bathroom. Opening the door, she stepped inside and removed her towel, folding it and placing it on the bench next to her. Opening her menu, Sinon equipped her underwear then clothes, black shorts and a simple green sweater that covered one shoulder and hung off the other. Happy with what she was wearing, Sinon walked out of the bathroom and headed back towards the kitchen. While she busied herself with the toast, she heard Kirito groan as he woke up.

'God, what time is it?' Sinon heard him yawn. Sighing, she grabbed her toast and walked out. As she walked towards the bed, she watched Kirito sit up and stretch, yawning again.

'Morning,' Sinon said as she sat on the bed, handing Kirito a piece of toast.

'Morning,' Kirito replied sleepily, taking the toast with a thanks. 'I wasn't asleep for too long, was I?'

'It's 11:00,' Sinon said, hiding a smile. 'We're late to the group meet-up.'

'WHAT?' Kirito went to jump out of bed but stopped when Sinon started giggling uncontrollably. 'What's so funny?'' he asked. 'We need to hurry!'

'Don't worry about it,' Sinon said, her giggling turning into laughter. 'I got Argo to send me all the info from the meet-up. A squadron of 10 players will go to the desert and attempt the dungeon on this floor at 3:00.' Finally containing herself, she looked at Kirito. 'I've been invited, but I'll need a partner.'

'Let me guess, I'll be your partner?' Kirito said, taking a bite from his warm toast.

'Of course,' Sinon replied. 'My friend isn't in the game right now, and you're the only other person I trust apart from Argo.'

'Alrighty then.' Kirito finished his toast and sighed. 'Thanks for breakfast, Sinon.'

'Ehh? It was nothing,' she mumbled, blushing slightly.

'Oh yeah, I have something for you, Sinon,' Kirito said, opening his menu.

'What?' Sinon was surprised. 'What do you mean you have something for me?

'Well,' Kirito rubbed the back of his neck. 'I logged out before to go check on my sister, and when I did, my friends were at my house.'

'YOU LOGGED OUT!' Furious, Sinon raised her hand and brought it down full force, sending Kirito into the wall. A message popped up- _'Immortal Object,'_ as Kirito landed back on the bed, face buried in the sheets. 'Asshole, you could've told me first!'

'Sorry,' the teen replied, his voice muffled. 'I was going to tell you but you were asleep so I figured I'd do it then.' Rolling over onto his back, he stared at the ceiling. 'Anyway, will you let me show you what I got you?'

'Hmph! It better he something good!' Sinon huffed, folding her arms. She heard Kirito open his menu and open his inventory.

'Where is it...' He mumbled, scrolling through his items. 'A HAH!' Clicking on the two gifts, a long, black suppressor materialized in Kirito's hand alongside with an extended magazine. 'You can turn around now, Sinon.'

The girl turned and looked at Kirito's hands. 'You know I can't use suppressors on my Hécate, so why would you give me one?'

'This isn't a normal suppressor, Sinon,' Kirito said with a smile. 'When I logged out, my friend finished the program I asked him to work on for me.'

'Program?'

'It allows me to create my own personal weapons and armor and import them into any game.' Kirito scratched his cheek. 'Anyway, I noticed that your sniper isn't compatible with any of the suppressors in this game, so I went ahead and made one for you along with an extended magazine.'

Sinon looked at the suppressor with hesitation. 'How badly will this effect my Hécate?' She asked.

'Well... You see...'

Sinon sighed and grabbed the teen's shirt, startling him. 'How badly will this effect my Hécate?' She asked again through gritted teeth.

Kirito sighed and removed Sinon's hand from his shirt. 'It won't effect your sniper's damage or range.'

'Ehh? What do you mean it won't effect my damage or range?'

'Well, it's an O.P attachment to be honest.' Kirito sighed as he dropped the attachments down Sinon's shirt, causing her to shriek as the cold magazine and suppressor touched her back. Ignoring Sinon's yelling, he continued on. 'The suppressor won't effect your damage or wall penetration, and the suppressor won't damage your range. Also, the suppressor will reduce recoil and reduce muzzle flash as well. The extended mag is an extra, but there's only one downside.'

Sinon stopped yelling at the teen as she took in all the info. 'Wow, that's amazing, wait, what downside?'

Kirito stared her right in the eyes as he spoke. 'It'll weigh you down by 0.1.'

Sinon returned the stare at Kirito, processing the information. Out of nowhere, laughter erupted from her throat and she smiled widely, falling onto her back as she lost it.

'You okay, Sinon-san?' Kirito asked, trying his best not to smile but failing.

'Kirito, you're an asshole,' Sinon said between gasps of breath. 'You had me worried that it was something maj- EEP!'

'Sinon!' Kirito lunged forward to grab the girl, but he was too late. Sinon fell off the bed, taking the plain blanket with her as she landed. Kirito peered over the edge of the bed to a wondrous sight. Sinon was wrapped all up from head to toe in her blanket, making her look like a recently buried mummy. 'Ahh, Sinon?'

'HRMPF!' The girl wiggled furiously to no use.

'Need some help?'

'NF I DHRT!' Sinon yelled again, her voice muffled.

'Alright, give me a sec, you'll be out in no time.' Kirito got off the bed and picked Sinon up, only to be kicked in the gut. Nearly dropping her, Sinon shrieked again as Kirito readjusted his hold. Sighing, Kirito placed her on the bed. 'This is gonna take a while.'

 _3 and a half hours later..._

A healthy forest surrounded a mountain, wildlife chirping happily as the sun glared at the earth angrily, as if trying to burn everything to death. Despite this, the forest was calm and peaceful. Unfortunately, a powder-blue haired girl could be heard shouting at a black-clad teen, disrupting the peace.

'Hurry up!' Sinon walked ahead of Kirito, blushing furiously. They had just made it to the 1st floor dungeon's entrance and Sinon was equipping her sniper when Kirito ran into her. Falling to the ground, Sinon had opened her eyes only to see Kirito land on her, his left hand on her boob.

'Soft,' Kirito had said before Sinon shrieked and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to go flying backwards.

'Why is he such a pervert?' Sinon mumbled as she walked forward, still blushing. Without realizing, she walked into a hooded figure, causing them to both stumble over. 'Oh my, I'm sorry,' Sinon blurted out as she helped the hooded person up. 'I wasn't watching where I was walking and-'

'Sinon?' Kirito ran to her, not noticing the hooded figure. 'Sorry about before, I'll make it up to you later.'

'Whatever.' The sniper looked at the figure who was fidgeting. 'Are you alright?' She asked, still feeling bad for walking into them.

'Yeah, I'm alright.' Surprised at the male's voice, Sinon stepped back as the figure took their hood off. 'Surprised, huh?' The teenage boy laughed aloud as he raised his hand for Sinon to shake. 'The name's Kureiji, nice to meet you.'

'Ahh, Sinon,' she replied nervously, shaking his hand.

'Who's this guy?' Kureiji asked innocently. 'You're boyfriend?'

At the word, _boyfriend,_ Sinon and Kirito blushed at the same time, their faces going as red as a tomato. 'No, no, no, no, no!' Kirito stammered quickly as he fell over, landing on his ass on the ground. ' You've got it all wrong!'

Kureiji laughed and reached out to help Kirito up. 'I was joking. I will admit though, your reaction was hilarious.'

'Glad to know.' Taking Kureiji's hand, Kirito got to his feet and grinned. 'Anyway, are you here as part of the group?'

'Dungeon clearing?' Kirito nodded. 'Yeah, I am. Have nothing else to do, I suppose.' Yawning as he stretched, Kureiji looked at Sinon who still had her back to both of the boys. 'What's wrong with her?'

Kirito turned to look at Sinon as well. 'I don't know.' Walking forward, Kirito placed a hand on Sinon's shoulder, making her jerk violently. 'Woah, you alright Sinon?'

'Y-Yeah,' she replied, her face still a bit red. 'I'm fine.' Sinon, in fact, was _not fine._ Once Kureiji said boyfriend, she blushed furiously and turned around instantly. _A boyfriend?_ Sinon thought to herself. _No, that would never happen._

'I don't think you are, Sinon-san,' Kirito said. 'Here, I'll cheer you up.'

'Huh? What are you planning on doi-'

Kirito sneaked up on Sinon and whispered in her ear, 'Boo.'

Jumping, Sinon turned around and screamed, attempting to hit Kirito in the face. 'YOU JERK!'

'Too slow!' Kirito ducked under her hand and grabbed Sinon's legs, picking her up and holding her over his shoulder.

'KIRITO, DROP ME THIS INSTANT!' Sinon yelled as she started hammering his back. Kirito, chuckling, ran forward, dodging between trees and jumping off of rocks, making Sinon shout even louder.

Kureiji laughed at the sight of the girl screaming at the black-clad teen who ran around carrying her. 'Ahh, aren't they good friends.' Looking past the two teens, he saw a group of armed players approaching, fully-armed. 'Sinon! Kirito! Time to stop mucking around, it's time!'

Kirito turned to look at Kueriji and nodded. Putting down Sinon who had stopped yelling, he looked at the group approaching. 'Come on, Sinon,' Kirito said, all playfulness gone from his voice. 'Let's go.'

'Hmph!' Sinon huffed as she folded her arms. 'You were the one playing around!' Turning around, she looked at the approaching group of players. Sighing, she grabbed Kirito and dragged him behind her. 'Come on, we're going back to Kureiji.'

 _2 hours later..._

'Here it is,' Kirito said to Sinon and Kureiji as he stopped in front of a massive door. Looking up at the engravings, Kirito recognized some creatures from SAO on the door, engraved in gold and silver.

'Alright, listen up!' Startled, Kirito, Sinon and Kureiji turned and looked at a muscular man pointing an assault rifle in the air. 'This is the boss room door, and we need to prepare ourselves for the boss! Restock on ammo and health everyone, we're going in hot!'

'Baka,' Kureiji smiled to himself. 'Thinks he can take leader position? What a joke.' Turning to Kirito and Sinon, he noticed the onyx-haired boy was staring at the door whilst the sniper stared at the black-clad teen. Sighing, he placed his hand on Sinon and Kirito's shoulders and pulled them in close. 'Hey,' he said jokingly. 'Stop spacing out guys, we'll need our _best_ players to beat this boss.'

'Hmm?' Kirito turned to Kureiji, coming out of his daydream. 'Oh, yeah, boss fight.' As Kirito took out his sword and replaced its battery, Sinon sighed and turned away, replacing her usual clip with the extended mag Kirito made her.

'You ready, sniper girl?' Kureiji asked, nudging Sinon in the shoulder.

'Call me that again and I'll shoot your balls off.' Sinon gave Kureiji a death glare as she raised her sniper and aimed it at his testicles.

'Alright, alright,' he said chuckling, backing up as he did. 'I learned my lesson.'

'Guys,' Kirito said, getting their attention. 'We're going in.' Activating his sword, Kirito walked up to the door and pushed it open, making the door groan slightly. Sinon walked in after Kirito without a hint of hesitation.

'Let's party,' Kureiji said, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.

 **That's chapter 7 there people. Sorry if it's too short but I'm kinda stressed at the moment (assessments, exams, etc). Anway, Kureiji is just a character that I made up on the spur of the moment. Will he be a main character in the future? Maybe. I'm not sure yet but he'll play some part to come. Also, don't worry, the next chapter will focus on theboss fight at the beginning. The next chapter will be out who knows when and yeah. Also, you'll have an idea on how Kureiji looks like in the next chapter. Also, uploading this chapter without having it proofread cause I'm in a shit mood. BYE!**

 **Make sure to follow/favorite and all that good stuff.**

 **-Striderm8**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Alright, so, to explain why this chapter is coming out so late is because I'm currently trying to draw Kirito, Sinon, Argo and Kureiji in photoshop. If I ever finish it, I'll put in a link so you peeps can see my shitty drawings :)**

Kureiji laughed as he watched three players fly across the room. 'Man,' he said. 'This boss is no joke.' Looking at the boss fighting, Kureiji admired the work put into it. A massive minotaur with a snapped horn stood in the center of the room, its brown skin covered in massive scars and gashes that bled red pixels. It had military pants on with multiple grenades clipped to the side. The minotaur held an assault rifle in its left hand, the right hand playing with a grenade. Its name was _Raging Zephr,_ and had 4 health bars.

'Everyone! Attack from the sides and behind! I want some players to distract at the front!' Turning around, Kureiji saw the same muscular man ordering players around.

'Tsk, I ain't following that jerkwad's orders.' Looking around, Kureiji saw Kirito sneaking up behind the minotaur, his photon sword glowing brightly at his side. Sinon was at the back, laying down on the floor with her sniper at the ready. 'I wonder how this'll turn out,' Kureiji murmured to himself. 'Oh well, let's have some fun.'

 _5 minutes later..._

'Help me- GAH!' Another player died from Zephr's gunfire, making the total amount of deaths 3. The squad of players had managed to lower Zephr's first health bar to halfway, but their luck was running out.

'Damnit,' Kirito growled as he was pushed back again by Zephr. As he dodged the hailstorm of bullets, Kirito saw that half of the players who'd participated were injured. 'I need to take it down soon,' Kirito muttered as he raised his sword to deflect the bullets that came close to hitting him.

'Kirito!' Sinon yelled out as he slashed through a bullet that almost hit his leg.

'What?!' The black-clad teen yelled back as he rolled behind a wall to catch his breath.

'Distract him! Three seconds will be enough!'

'Alright, I'm trusting you!' Taking a deep breath, Kirito jumped out of cover and ran across the room, pulling out his FN Five Seven, firing rounds at Zephr's torso. All of his shots hit their target and the boss roared in pain as it lost its first health bar.

'Gotcha,' Sinon said with a smile as she aimed right at its heart. Pulling the trigger, Hecate's bullet came flying out in the blink of an eye. Roaring in pain, Zephr released the grenade in its right hand as its second health bar vanished.

'SINON!' Kirito yelled out as the grenade came rolling towards her. Sinon's eyes widened in realization as she scrambled to her feet to get away.

BOOM!

'Heh, that was close, wasn't it?' Kirito sighed in relief as he saw Kureiji putting down Sinon at the back, both players unscathed. Sighing, the teen walked towards the boss unarmed, both hands in his cloaks pockets.

'Listen,' Kureiji said as he approached. 'I've had my fun watching you, but it's time for you to die now. Serious.' Zephr snorted as Kureiji approached, not taking the player seriously.

'Kureiji, don't do it!' Kirito yelled out as he ran towards the other player, only to stop in his tracks as he saw him smile. 'Are you crazy? You'll die!'

'Crazy, huh? We'll see about that.' Taking his hands out of his pockets, Kureiji ran towards Zephr, laughing as he did. Zephr roared and punched down at the cloaked figure, missing him by inches. Kirito gasped as he watched the cloak get ripped off Kureiji, revealing the blood red clothing he wore. Without hesitation, Kureiji pulled out a shotgun from his back and leaped onto Zephr's head, grabbing onto the horn as the minotaur roared. Smiling, he placed the barrel firmly into Zephr's forehead and fired, spraying red pixels everywhere. 'Kirito!' Kureiji yelled out as he jumped off the beast smiling. 'All yours buddy!'

'You idiot,' Kirito shouted back as he ran full-speed at the boss. 'You could've died!' Watching the boss's health reach the last bar, Kirito reactivated his Photon sword and leaped onto Zephr's head, stabbing downwards. Sliding down it's back, Kirito grunted as he pushed the blade deeper into the boss, creating a long red slash of red pixels. The boss roared in pain as the last bar of health disappeared. With a crack, the boss exploded into thousands of blue and green polygons that slowly disappeared as Kirito fell to the ground, exhausted from the fight.

'Kirito!' Looking up, he watched as Sinon ran towards him, followed by a smiling Kureiji. 'Are you alright?' She asked, holding out a hand for Kirito to take.

'Yeah,' he replied, clipping his now deactivated sword to his side. Taking Sinon's hand, Kirito got to his feet and looked around at the remaining players.

'We've lost three men,' the muscular man from before said as he approached the three players. 'Most of the squad, if not all of them, are injured.' Sighing, the man stopped walking and looked at them. 'The name's Tiffany, nice to meet you.'

'Kirito.'

'Sinon.'

'Kureiji.'

'Nice to meet you,' they said in unison. Tiffany looked at the three players, admiring their gear. The boy who went by the name Kirito was clad in black clothing with a black trench coat, some of his clothing lined with silver. The sniper Sinon was in bulletproof armor with a desert-colored military jacket, a white muffler surrounding her neck.

'Something wrong?' Kureiji asked, still smiling.

 _This one is dangerous,_ Tiffany thought to himself as he looked at the boy. Kureiji wore black combat boots lined with crimson red. His combat pants were a dark red as if they were stained with blood. His torso was covered in a black bulletproof vest, a crimson trench cloak covering his back. A black belt with a red buckle held a couple of grenades and a pistol. His shotgun was strapped to his back, the ammunition for it in a tiny pocket on his waist. 'Nothing wrong,' Tiffany said as he turned around and walked away. 'Thanks for the help today. I don't think we would've won this battle without you guys.'

'No need to thank us,' Sinon said to the man walking away.

'Just doing what we have to do,' Kureiji said. 'You should help those players back to the city, their spirits are low.' Turning to Kirito and Sinon, Kureiji watched the two whisper to each other and smiled.' As much as I hate to disrupt your little lovey dovey talk,' he said sarcastically, making the two players blush and look away from each other. 'I've got to go.' Opening his menu, he sent a friend request to both. 'Seeya later!' Kureiji said as he pulled out a teleport crystal. Shattering it in his palm, he shouted out, 'SBC Glocken!' And was enveloped in a blue light, disappearing into nothingness.

'The game has an option to teleport out of dungeons now?' Sinon asked, flabbergasted.

'Must've been when Kayaba took over GGO,' Kirito said to Sinon as he walked towards the steps that lead to a new floor. 'He must've made GGO into Aincrad or something similar.'

'Aincrad?'

'I'll explain later,' Kirito replied as he made his way up the steps. 'Come on, let's go Sinon.'

 _2 hours later..._

'Finally,' Kirito sighed in relief as they reached the center of the town on floor two, the sun setting in the distance. 'I thought we'd never make it here.

'You still haven't told me what we're doing here,' Sinon muttered angrily as she followed the teen to a pedestal in the middle of the plaza.

'I haven't?' Kirito said surprised. 'Sorry, it must've passed my mind.' Stepping onto the pedestal, a menu popped up and Kirito tapped the accept button.

'So, what _are_ you doing?'

'I'm activating the teleport gate so we can travel back to SBC Glocken,' Kirito explained as a blue light shone over the pedestal. 'We can go back now if you want,' Kirito said as he stepped off the pedestal, the blue light vanishing.

'Yeah,' Sinon yawned. 'I'm pretty tired, and I don't exactly feel like exploring a new area.' Sinon stepped up onto the pedestal and looked at Kirito. 'So,' she said. 'How do I use the gate?'

Kirito grinned as he spoke. 'First, you need to connect your soul to the teleport gate. After that, say SBC Glocken and you'll teleport there.'

Sinon glared at Kirito before she sighed and turned away. 'SBC Glocken,' she said. Feeling a weird tingly sensation in her body, Sinon closed her eyes as she teleported back to the first floor.

'Well, looky what we got here,' a voice said from behind her. Opening her eyes, Sinon whipped around only to be pushed against a wall roughly. A man was in front of her, holding her against the wall. Looking away from his face, Sinon realized she was in a dark alleyway, the dying sunlight not entering the decrepit place. 'Aren't you a hot one,' the man whispered into her ear, pressing his body against Sinons.

'S-Stop,' she said quietly, scared of the stranger.

'I won't hurt you, I promise,' he said grinning maliciously. 'I'll just be playing with you for a while.' The stranger placed his hand against Sinon's throat and pushed her against the wall, choking her. Sinon struggled, trying to remove the hand that had her throat in a vice-like grip. Kicking wildly, she caught the man in the groin as he unbuckled his pants, only for him to laugh. 'That hurt sweetie, I'll have to pay you back for that one.'

'N-No,' Sinon murmured as her vision began to darken. She could feel the man pressing his whole body against her, the stranger groping at whatever he touched. 'K-Kirito...'

'Get your fucking hands off her!' Sinon gasped for air as she fell to the ground, leaning against the wall for support. The man went flying away into the darkness, a loud crack ringing out as he hit something. 'Sinon,' the girl looked up as she felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder. 'Are you alright?'

'Yeah,' she said quietly as she placed her hands gingerly on her throat. 'Thanks for saving me.'

'No problem,' Kirito said as he looked at where the stranger went flying off. 'Wait for me,' he said quietly, anger surging through him. 'I need to have a little talk with this man.' Sinon nodded as she watched Kirito walk into the darkness. Sighing, she closed her eyes, but quickly opened them as she heard someone yelp. Opening her eyes, Sinon watch the man scramble away from Kirito, screaming out in pain. 'You accepted the duel,' Kirito said, his eyes ablaze with anger. 'You deserve this.' Stepping forward, Kirito grabbed the man's shirt and lifted him up. Without hesitation, the black-clad teen pulled out his pistol and shot twice, hitting the stranger in both kneecaps.

'Kirito,' Sinon got up and walked towards Kirito, burying her face in his back. 'That's enough, let him go.'

'I can't do that, Sinon,' Kirito replied as he dropped the screaming man. 'He tried to rape you. I can't let that slide by.'

'Please!' The man screamed from the ground. 'Mercy! I beg for your forgiveness!'

'You dare say that after what you've done?' Kirito yelled as he brought his leg back. The man raised his head to look at Kirito, only for the teen's boot to connect to his chin. The stranger's body rose from the ground as he flew out of the alleyway and landed on his back on the pavement.

'Ki-rito,' Sinon mumbled as she fell to the ground. Feeling something warm holding her, Sinon looked up just in time to feel Kirito pick her up in bridal style.

'You'll be alright,' Kirito said to Sinon, comforting the shaken girl. 'I promise you that.' Sinon closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep as her savior walked out of the alleyway into the street. Kirito watched Sinon sleep as he walked back to her apartment. Looking up, he watched players walk by, curious of the two player's relationship. 'I lost control again, didn't I?' Kirito mumbled as he reached the entrance to the hotel. Stepping inside, he quickly walked to Sinon's room and entered. Walking to her bed, Kirito set her down gently and placed the blanket over her.

'Kirito,' Sinon mumbled in her sleep as she turned her back to the boy.

Smiling, Kirito entered the bathroom and took off all his clothes. Entering the shower, he turned the hot water on and stood still as the water soaked his body. 'Why?' He murmured to himself, his hands shaking. 'Why did that man seem so familiar?' Kirito recalled a memory from his childhood when he was about 8. He was walking home with Sugu, the sun setting in the distance. Sugu had just finished her Kendo training and was holding onto her training sword when a man jumped her. Startled, she screamed as the man pressed against her, his hand fiddling with his belt buckle. Kirito had grabbed his sister's training sword and whacked the man as hard as he could in the head with it, causing him to fall. Without stopping, Kirito continue hammering into the man with the swor-. 'Stop that,' Kirito muttered angrily as he slammed his fist into the wall.

Sinon jerked awake as she heard a dull thud come from the bathroom. Opening her eyes slowly, she sat up and looked at the light coming from the bathroom. 'Kirito,' she murmured to herself. 'You saved me.' Getting up from the bed, Sinon slowly walked over to the bathroom and knocked. 'Kirito,' she said sleepily. 'Can we talk?'

'Hmm?' Kirito turned the shower off and stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying himself off. 'Give me a minute,' Kirito called out to Sinon as he grabbed his clothes. Pulling his trunks on, he grabbed his pants and slipped them on, then quickly put his shirt on. 'Alright,' Kirito said to Sinon. 'You can come in now.' The door opened and the girl entered, closing the door behind her quietly.

'I'm sorry for the trouble,' Sinon said quietly, looking down at her feet. 'I teleported into that alley and was attacked the moment I opened my eyes.' Shaking uncontrollably, Sinon felt tears roll down her face as she raised her hands to her face. 'I-I was so scared,' she murmured, 'I didn't know what to do and I... I-'

'It's alright,' Kirito said, stepping forward and hugging the frightened girl. 'You're safe now, and I swear I won't let anyone hurt you again. I promise I'll protect you,' Kirito said as he rubbed Sinon's back reassuringly.

'You promise?' Sinon mumbled through Kirito's shirt, feeling the teen's warm body holding her gently as she buried her slightly red face in his chest.

'I promise.'

 **So, now that that's done, I can work on the SAO story. Anyway, I hope you peeps go check it out, cause I'm really enjoying working on two stories at once. Apart from that, hope yous enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to favorite/follow this story and my other story.**

 **Hope you all are having a good day**

 **-Striderm8**


	9. UPDATE!

**SORRY! Okay, I can explain with the delay on uploads for both stories. I'm in my second-last week of school before the two week break, so I've been really busy with exams and assessments, all that stupid shit. I've also been handed a personal task from a important person at the school to work on something as well. To make this even more understandable, I have around 8 things due in this and the next week put together, and I'm under pressure, even though I don't feel it. Also, I've lost my next chapter for this story, so I'll either have to speedwrite it back up, or try and get it back somehow. Anyway, sorry about the long delay. If you're bored, go check out my other story and read that while I work on this one. Sorry once again, and have a good day!**

 **-Striderm8**


	10. Chapter 10 (Update is chap 9)

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Cut me some slack. I'm currently knee deep in assessments right now, and I don't have that much time to write. I've got a H.P.E draft due tomorrow, an English and Graphics draft due at the end of the week and a bunch more to do. I've legit got about 7-8 assessments to work on. Apart from me ranting, expect my upload of once per week to change into possibly once every two weeks.**

 **Note to people, the above was written before I posted the update.**

 **Xdamm – I think I've actually lost a lot of people with Kirito being out the game. I'll explain. In the message Heathcliff sends Kirito, it says that he can leave for a short period of time if he wants to. In that time, Kirito logs out which leads to him talking to Asuna and the others. Honestly though, I did want to make a scene where Kirito hits Asuna but I held back.**

Kirito closed the door to the room as quietly as possible, trying not to wake the sleeping girl. Without hesitation, he walked off quickly, his head down as he walked past tired players. Heading out onto the pathway outside of the hotel, Kirito looked up at the night sky and sighed. Hands in pockets, the black-clad teen faded in and out as he walked through shadows and moonlight that covered the shops he passed. As Kirito walked, he noticed a hooded figure following him very discreetly, mirroring his movements.

'You're going to have to do better than that,' Kirito murmured to himself as he quickened his pace, the stalker slowly getting closer. When the figure got even closer, close enough to touch, Kirito turned around swiftly and grabbed the figure by the throat. Without hesitation, he slammed the hooded figure into the wall and tightened his grip as they fumbled uselessly to try and pry his hand apart. 'Who are you?' Kirito snarled. When he got no answer, Kirito growled and hurled the player behind him, his anger quickly rising. 'I'll ask again. Who are you?'

'Heh,' the player said, his voice rough and unpleasant. 'That doesn't matter now, does it?' Kirito went to step forward, only to stop himself and scan his surroundings silently.

 _One on my left and right,_ Kirito thought to himself as he clenched his fists. _One is most likely behind me as well._

'No need to get violent,' a voice said from behind him. A hand rested on his shoulder and Kirito tensed. 'Just come with us and-' Kirito grunted as he thrusted his elbow into the man's gut and sent him sprawling to the ground, howling in pain as his two accomplices rushed Kirito from both sides. Kirito waited until they got close before darting forwards at the last second, making the two players run into each other, heads crunching as they made contact. As they fell, the teen turned around, the teen bent down and grabbed their arms and pulled. With a loud crack, Kirito dropped their dislocated arms, making them scream as he turned to the man he had pinned earlier who was rushing him.

'DIE!' He yelled at Kirito, his arm raised to punch the teen in the head.

'No,' Kirito muttered under his breath as he disappeared, moving so quickly that it looked like the darkness absorbed him, only to reappear behind the confused player. ' _You_ can fuck off.' Raising his arm, Kirito brought his fist down with such force onto the man's head that a loud, audible _*crack*_ could be heard. Without waiting, the teen walked towards the man he had elbowed and grabbed his shirt, lifting him into the air above his head. 'I'm not in the mood for playing,' Kirito said, glaring at the injured player. 'Who sent you and why. Now.'

'O-Okay,' the man whimpered, hands raised in surrender. 'Just let me down.' Kirito dropped the player who sighed in relief, only to inhale sharply as Kirito's photon sword flickered to life, coming very close to tickling his chin. 'Garrison. Garrison sent me and my crew to beat you up,' the man said quickly as the sword slowly singed a hair sticking from his chin.

'Who's Garrison?' Kirito asked, not moving the blade an inch.

'The man you beat up earlier this night,' the man replied, his speech getting faster as Kirito's face darkened. 'He was mad that you took his prey from him and wants paybac-'

'Prey, huh?' Kirito murmured, his hand beginning to shake from anger. 'Where's he now?' When the player didn't respond, Kirito kicked him hard in the chest, forcing a grunt of pain from him as he fell on his back. Placing the sword very close to his throat, Kirito asked again. 'Where. Is. He?' The man gulped and looked down the street. Kirito followed his gaze and growled. Standing up, he deactivated his sword and clipped it to his waist. Walking slowly, Kirito made his way towards the end of the street where a dark silhouette of a man stood. When the teen knew it was definitely Garrison, he clenched his teeth and began to run. Garrison mirrored his movements and began to run at Kirito. The two players came closer and closer until they were within arms reach. Garrison raised his arm to punch Kirito, only for the oxygen in him to be knocked out by a powerful punch to his stomach. Kirito growled as he forced his fist further into Garrison's gut, making the man cry out on pain. Without waiting, Kirito raised his arm and slammed his elbow into Garrison's neck, forcing him to the ground.

'P-Punk,' the man spat out as tried to get to his knees. 'You'll regret thi-'

'Shut up,' Kirito interrupted Garrison. 'You deserve to die after what you've done.' Memories of his past began to cloud his vision, but Kirito shut them out. Kirito placed his boot on Garrison's shoulder as he began to rise and pushed downwards violently, forcing the man to hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

'You won't get away with this!' Garrison cried out in pain as the rage-driven teen unclipped his photon sword. Without another word, Kirito activated the blade and thrusted it into the ground above Garrison's shoulder. No hesitation in his actions, Kirito dragged the blade through Garrison's shoulder, making the man scream with pain. Once Garrison's arm exploded into pixels, his eyes rolled up into his head as he fell unconscious.

'Don't ever come near Sinon again,' Kirito said as he turned around and walked away, deactivating and clipping the sword to his waist. Leaving the man in the middle of the street, Kirito walked back towards the hotel where Sinon was still sleeping. Time passed and Kirito entered the hotel entrance. Looking around, he noticed Kureiji waiting by the stairs, his head down. Walking towards him, Kirito stopped by the stairs and looked at Kureiji. 'Thanks for the info,' Kirito said.

Kureiji looked up and stared Kirito right in the eyes. ' No problem. I saw what happened when you teleported back into town.' Shrugging, he continued as he looked away. 'I decided to tail them and guess what? I found out that they planned to attack you at night. After the boss fight, it seems that you can attack other players in SBC Glocken now, provided they aren't in a shop or hotel, so I sent you a message to warn you and your girlfriend.'

'Sinon isn't my girlfriend,' Kirito replied, blushing slightly.

'Sure, sure.' Kureiji looked out at the hotel door and frowned, noticing a dark silhouette by the door. 'Listen, I'll keep watch for you tonight. Tomorrow you might want to change hotels with Sinon so they can't find you. You need to stay alert at all times from now on'

'I will.' Kirito sighed and began making his way up the stairs. 'Thanks Kureiji, I owe you one. Night.'

'Night.' As Kirito disappeared from his vision, Kureiji slowly walked towards the entrance, pretending not to notice the player near the door tense up. As he walked out, the player jumped at Kureiji who smirked. With ease, Kureiji grabbed the player and hurled them through the hotel door, glass shattering then disappearing into green and blue polygons.

'Damn,' the player muttered as they rubbed their head. 'I though I got you this time for sure.'

Kureiji laughed as he approached the player. 'Nice try Lucas, but next time, make sure I can't see your silhouette.' Stopping in front of him, Kureiji extended his hand out.

'I completely forgot about that,' Lucas grinned as he took Kureiji's hand. Getting to his feet with some help, he brushed off the glass fragments on his clothes. 'So,' Lucas said, completely ignoring the situation. 'Whatcha doing hanging around here?'

'Doing a favor for a friend,' Kurieji replied as he walked towards a chair. Sitting down, he motioned for Lucas to sit down with him. 'It's going to be a long night, so you may as well stay with me.'

'Yeah, yeah,' Lucas sighed as he plopped into the chair next to Kureiji. 'So, fill me in.' Kureiji smiled and began to talk.

 _1 Hour Later..._

Sinon shifted slightly and groaned as she woke up. Realizing that she was pressed up against something warm, she opened her eyes slowly to see what it was. Kirito lay in front of her, eyes closed as he slept peacefully. Sinon smiled as she watched him sleep.

 _I never knew boys could look so cute when they sleep,_ she thought to herself. _Oh well, may as well get up now._ Sitting up in the bed, Sinon raised her hand to stifle a yawn. Too lazy to get up, she crawled over Kirito, trying not to wake him up, only for her foot to get caught on the blanket.

'Tsk! Damnit,' Sinon muttered to herself. Looking around, she realized that she was positioned directly above Kirito. 'Don't you dare wake up,' Sinon muttered as she attempted to shake her foot free from the blanket.

'No, that's my piece of cake,' Kirito babbled as he turned and laid on his back. Sinon froze as she watched Kirito move, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

'Oh, thank god,' she sighed. Carefully, Sinon extracted her foot from the blanket and managed to get off the bed without waking Kirito. Taking one last look at the sleeping teen, Sinon gave herself a small smile before she walked towards the kitchen. Opening the fridge door, she looked at the contents of the fridge and frowned before grabbing some bread. Popping two pieces into the toaster, Sinon went and leaned against the bench behind her, watching the bread cook. While waiting, she realized that she was still in her combat gear. Before Sinon could do anything, she heard somebody knock on the door.

'Hello?' A male voice said as they knocked on the door. 'Kirito? Sinon?' Sinon's eyes narrowed as she slowly stepped towards her apartment door. Opening her menu quickly, Sinon equipped her sniper and held it at her hip as she prepared to open the door.

'All right,' Sinon murmured to herself. Grabbing the handle of the door and swinging it open, she thrusted her sniper's barrel into the player's gut as she spoke. 'What do you want?'

'Woah, woah,' Kureiji said as he stepped back, hands up in surrender. 'Just came here to warn you, that's all.'

'Warn me about what?' Sinon asked, lowering her Hecate.

'Not you,' Kureiji said. 'Kirito. Mind if I come in?'

Sinon grunted as she unequipped Hecate and stepped to the side. 'Sure, but don't touch anything.'

'Of course, milady,' Kureiji joked as he stepped inside, ignoring the glare he received. Walking in, Kureiji ignored his surroundings and headed straight for the bed. Without hesitation, he whipped a knife out of his pocket and stabbed downwards at Kirito's head.

'Heh, nice try,' Kirito grinned as he looked up at Kureiji who was smiling. Kirito's hand was wrapped around the blade's handle, stopping it mere centimeters from his skull.

'I warned you last night, remember?' Kureiji drew back his hand and sheathed his knife.

'Yeah, I remember.' Kirito replied as he stretched. Getting out of the bed, he yawned and walked towards the bathroom. 'Give me five and I'll be ready to talk.'

'Sure. Hey, Sinon. Sorry about tha-'

SMACK!

Sinon slapped Kureiji hard across the face, knocking him over onto the bed. 'Never,' she said quietly, her eyes hidden by her hair. 'Ever, do that again. Or I will kill you.'

'Message received,' the teen replied as he sat up. 'I wouldn't have been able to hurt him, you know. You can't damage other players in hotels, inns, shops or personal homes.' Sighing, Kureiji got up and walked towards the kitchen, looking around as he entered. 'You both should get your identities changed. Also, your toast is burning.'

'Eek!' Sinon ran past the teen and grabbed both pieces of toast. Popping one on her mouth, she glared at Kureiji as she walked out. Smiling, he followed her out of the kitchen as Sinon fell onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling with a piece of toast in her mouth. Without waiting, she began to chew on it, slowly eating it away.

'Alright, I'm done now.' Kirito stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair off with a towel. 'So, what about an identity change?'

Kureiji smiled as he grabbed a chair and sat down. 'Players now know both of your identities, so changing them means that you wouldn't be targeted.' Looking at Kirito, Kureiji dropped the smile and became serious. 'Especially you Kirito. After last night, people are gonna start targeting you, and they won't show mercy.' Kirito's face darkened as he looked at the floor.

'Yeah, you're right,' he replied. Sighing, Kirito chucked the towel on Sinon, grabbed the other piece of toast from her hand and sat down next to her.

'Hey!' Sinon grabbed the towel and threw it to the side, swallowing the rest of the toast in her mouth. 'Don't do that again!' Jumping on top of Kirito, he laughed as Sinon wrestled for the toast that he had popped into his mouth, holding her at bay.

'Well, you look like you're having fun,' Kureiji said, making the two teens freeze. 'I'll let myself out.' Getting up, Kureiji made his way out, leaving the two frozen halfway through their wrestling match.

'An identity change, huh,' Kirito murmured to himself. 'I wonder... Hey!' Kirito made a wild swipe at Sinon as she jumped off of him, the piece of toast in her hand.

'Hah! I win!" She gloated, hand on her hip. Before Kirito could do anything, she ate the rest of it then jumped back on the bed. 'Hey, Kirito?'

'Hmm?' He looked at Sinon, wondering what she was going to ask.

'Thanks for saving me yesterday.'

'You don't need to thank me.'

'No, I needed to say tha-' Sinon stopped talking as she felt Kirito embrace her in a hug.

'You don't need to thank me,' Kirito murmured into her ear as Sinon struggled then relaxed in his arms. 'I can't stand by and watch a friend nearly get raped. I-It reminds me of something that nearly happened to my sister, and I couldn't bear seeing it happen to you.' Sinon blushed slightly as Kirito revealed a little bit of his past.

Looking up, Sinon looked at Kirito's face, a tear slowly forming in the corner of his eye. 'Hey,' she said quietly. 'No need to cry. You're supposed to be comforting me, not crying.'

Kirito sniffled as he raised his hand to wipe away the tear that was forming. 'Heh, I suppose so. Thanks Sinon.'

Blushing furiously, Sinon buried her face in his chest. 'Anyway, let me stay like this for a bit longer.' Kirito smiled and rubbed Sinon's hair slowly before embracing her in a hug a bit tighter than before.

'Of course.'

 _1 hour later..._

'So, Argo,' Kirito said as he lounged around on the chair. 'Do you know if there's a way to change your avatar in GGO?'

Argo yawned as she stretched her arms above her head. 'It'll cost ya Kii-bou.'

Kirito sighed. 'How much Argo?'

'4,500 credits.'

'Geeze,' Kirito complained. 'You drive a hard bargain. Anyway I can lower the price?'

Argo smiled mischievously as she fell into a chair opposite of Kirito. 'Hmm. I don't know. Maybe you can tell your girlfriend Sinonon that I said hey?"

'S-Sinon is not my girlfriend!' Kirito stuttered as Argo burst out laughing. 'A-anyway, I'll say hello for you.'

'Good enough for me.' Argo stood up and yawned before speaking again. 'If ya go to the center of the town where ya registered for BoB, there's a hidden room to the left when ya enter. I don't know the details of whatcha gotta do, but if ya suceed, you'll be able to successfully change your avatar.'

'Thanks Argo,' Kirito said as he processed the information. 'That helps a lot.' Standing up, Kirito yawned and left the room, waving at Argo as he exited. 'Time to go see if this'll work,' he murmured.

 _30 minutes later..._

'So this is the place?' Kirito looked around at the empty reception where he signed up for the BoB tournament. 'Oh well. Better check if ARgo's info was right.' Walking towards the left side of the room, Kirito found a door that blended in with the wall. Frowning, he pushed it open and quickly stepped inside, the door shutting silently behind him. Taking a quick glance at his surroundings, Kirito realized that the room was completely black except for a single table with two chairs that stood proudly in the center of the room. Walking forwards, Kirito stopped at the desk, his muscles instantly locking up. 'Whoever's there, come out, now.'

'My, Kirito,' a familiar voice said as a man donned in red and white armor emerged from the shadows. 'I never expected to see you here.'

Kirito's eyes narrowed as he watched Heathcliff stand at the opposite end of the table. 'Kayaba. Why are you here?'

'None of that,' Heathcliff said with a smile. 'In here, my name's Heathcliff. But more importantly, why are _you_ here, Kirito?'

'Tsk, whatever.' Kirito grabbed a chair and pulled it back and sat down. 'You should know why I'm here.'

Heathcliff nodded and sat down at the table as well. 'Of course I do. However, I do have a request from you if you do plan to do this Kirito.'

'What _exactly_ is this request Heathcliff?' Kirito said, placing his feet up on the table. Heathcliff just smiled, making the hairs on the back of Kirito's neck stand up.

 _25 minutes later..._

Sinon heard a knock on the door and sighed. Getting up, she grabbed her sweater and pulled it on over her underwear. More knocking. 'Yes, I'm coming. Just give me a sec.' Quickly, Sinon walked to the door and opened it.

'Hey Sinon,' a girl with long black hair down to her shoulder-blades stood in front of Sinon. Her voice sounded familiar.

'Umm,' Sinon said nervously. 'Do I know you?'

The girl chuckled nervously. 'Oh shit, that's right. I forgot to tell you, didn't I?' Opening her menu, Sinon watched the girl open up her information and swipe the screen over to her.

'Name Kirito... WAIT. WHAT?' Sinon looked up in disbelief at Kirito as he smiled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. 'When the hell did you do this?'

'Well,' Kirito looked away before speaking again. 'Let's not talk about it here, okay?'

Sinon glared at Kirito before relenting. 'Fine, but you better explain everything.

'I will.'

 **End of chapter! It's been forever since I've uploaded to this story and I feel guilty as hell! I updated earlier today but I feel really bad so I'm just straight uploading this without getting my friend to proofread this. Also, I might upload another chapter to this story instead of my other one,** _ **'A different World,'**_ **because I feel that bad. Anyway, have any questions, send me a message or drop a review and I'll answer it in the next chapter, maybe. Anyway, enjoy.**

 **P.S - Did some editing on the chapter. Just a little bit.**

 **-Striderm8**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Thanks for the review FailtasticBelt. With the contempt part, I did mess that up. Thanks for pointing that out. With this GGO I'm doing, I've got some inspiration back for writing it. And don't worry, there will be plenty (maybe) of plot-twists. With Kirito, we all know O.P this motherf*king mofo is, so I had to make him less O.P in a way. Adding a battery life to his photon sword also makes it a but more realistic than having unlimited power. Also, with the Kirito and Asuna breakup... How do I say this without spoiling anything? Yes, I've done a chapter where they meet up in real life. But... Let's just say that Kirito x Sinon/Sinoto will fully bloom very soon. 100% confirmed from me to happen in the next 2-7 chapters. Anyway, thanks for the review and the favorite. Not even going to lie, I woke up this morning and read this about 6ish and it made my day.**

 **Note to everybody reading this, I may go back and update the chapters and fix up some grammar issues or even add dates in. If I do, I'll let all of you know. Now, enough of you reading all this stuff you don't want to read. Hurry up and enjoy this next chapter.**

As Sinon made coffee, she couldn't help but think of Kirito's new avatar. As he had said before, Kirito had somehow managed to change his avatar into one of the rare M9000 models whilst keeping everything he previously had. However, when Sinon asked Kirito what he did to change his avatar, he quickly changed the topic and asked for coffee.

'Hey, Sinon!' Kirito called out from the bathroom.

'Hmm?'

'Is it nearly done yet?'

'You impatient- Yes, give me another minute!' Smiling, Kirito admired himself in the mirror as he listened to Sinon fume. Ignoring his friend, Kirito frowned as he raised his arm. His avatar was a bit shorter than before, but it wasn't very noticeable. Kirito's hair was also down to his shoulder-blades, his eyes a bit larger which gave made his peripheral vision bigger. His skin was also paler than usual which made him frown. Overall, he looked more like a girl than ever before.

'Oh well,' Kirito sighed as he turned away. Grabbing his coat, he pulled it on and walked out of the bathroom. As he closed the door behind him, Kirito saw the two cups of coffee on the table steaming and walked over. Grabbing the chair and pulling it out, he went to sit down, only for Sinon to come out of nowhere and steal his chair. Kirito looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. 'Really?' Sinon took a cup and sipped it carefully before looking up at Kirito.

'Something wrong?' She asked innocently, eyes wide as she made eye contact with the teen. Kirito sighed and walked over the other side of the table. Sitting down, he stretched his arms above his head, wincing in pain as he did.

'Thanks for the coffee,' Kirito said to Sinon as he took a cup. Taking a sip, Kirito let out a sigh of relief. Sinon stifled a laugh as she watched Kirito take another sip.

'What?' She said, holding her laughter in as Kirito looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

'Nothing,' he replied before setting the cup down on the table. 'I was just expecting you to have done something to my cup, that's all.' Sighing, Kirito leaned back in the chair with his hands on his head.

'Anyway,' Sinon said with a smile. 'What do you want to do today? We could go out and explore those dungeons that were added or something.'

'Actually,' Kirito said as he stood up and grabbed his coffee. 'We both need to do something.' Walking towards the windows, he opened the blinds partially to reveal a city with neon lights glowing in the dark as black storm clouds covered the sky. 'Last night, I dealt with some people related to what happened to you in the alleyway.' Sinon's smile instantly vanished as she realized what Kirito was talking about.

'Continue on,' she said carefully.

Kirito sighed as he let go of the blinds, letting them fall back into place. 'Well, I learned that they know where we're staying and that they're going to start targeting us.' Kirito took a sip from his cup as he went and sat down on the bed, looking at his feet. 'That's why I had my avatar changed. It'll throw them off, seeing you with another person instead of my old avatar. But still, it doesn't mean that you can just stay here. They'll come for you eventually and try to force me out into the open. That's why we need to move.'

'Baka,' Sinon muttered to herself, surprising Kirito as he looked up at her. 'You didn't have to change your avatar just because of me.' Tears began to well up in the corner of Sinon's eyes as she sniffled.

'Hey, Sinon?' Kirito said worriedly as he stood up and moved over to her. 'Are you alright?'

Sinon raised her hand to Kirito and waved at him. 'Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that,' She sniffled again. 'I've never had a friend do this much for me before, that's all.' Kirito put his hand on Sinon's shoulder, surprising the girl.

'It's alright,' Kirito said, comforting Sinon. 'I'll always be here for you. What type of friend would I be if I wasn't?' Sinon chuckled at this before wiping away the tear that threatened to run down her face.

'Of course.' Standing up, Sinon left her cup on the table and walked towards the bathroom. 'I'm going to change into something more appropriate. Give me 5 minutes then we can leave.'

'Sure thing,' Kirito said as she closed the door behind her. Grabbing his coffee, he drained the rest of it then went and laid down on the bed. Opening his menu, Kirito went into his messages and frowned as he saw one from Sugu. 'I wonder what this is about,' he murmured to himself.

 _Kirito,_

 _Sorry to bother you like this, but something important just happened. You were taken to the hospital. I'm assuming the worse here, but I'm guessing that you can't log out anymore. I'll try to keep this from the others, but I'm sure they'll find out eventually. Anyway, please stay safe Kazuto._

 _Leafa_

Kirito, after reading the message, instantly backed out of it and checked his settings for a logout button. Scrolling down through them, he made it to where the button was, only to be rewarded with a blank space. Clicking on it, nothing happened. Kirito sighed.

 _So, it's finally happening,_ he thought to himself, staring at the ceiling. _I can actually die in GGO now._ The thought made Kirito depressed, so he shook it from his head as backed out of the settings. Going back into his messages, Kirito went to write a reply to Sugu, only for another message to pop-up in his inbox. Without hesitation, Kirito opened it instantly.

 _Kirito,_

 _Onii-Chan, I'm so sorry. Asuna came over and found out. After that, she went home instantly. I'm afraid that she intends to log into GGO to try and find you. I know Liz and the others will find out shortly, so I'll try my best to stop them._

 _Leafa_

'Kirito? I'm ready now.' Opening the door, Sinon came out dressed in a green miniskirt with a black belt, a white shirt and a version of her military jacket with sleeves reaching up past her elbows and green and black hi-tops. As Sinon closed the door behind her, she saw Kirito jump from the bed and sprint towards the door. 'Hey, wait up!' Sinon yelled at Kirito. Sighing, she sprinted after him, slamming the door shut behind her.

 _Damn that girl,_ Kirito said to himself internally as he ran out of the hotel's entrance. Looking around, he saw the tower in the distance where new players spawn in. Without hesitation, Kirito sprinted off towards it with Sinon not too far behind. Running through the street, Kirito heard thunder rumbling in the distance. Growling, Kirito grit his teeth together as he ran into an alleyway that led directly towards the spawn tower.

'Hey cutie,' a player said as they grabbed Kirito's arm when he reached the middle of the alleyway. 'Where do ya think you're goin-'

'GET OUT OF MY WAY!' Kirito yelled angrily as he whipped around, smashing his fist into the players face. The man dropped to the ground, knocked unconscious from the viciousness of the punch. Without waiting, Kirito ran off again towards the spawn tower.

'Where'd he go?' Sinon said to herself as he came to a stop. Looking around, she saw Kirito run off toward the spawn tower through the alleyway and frowned. 'Why's he going there?' Sinon murmured to herself as she sprinted off after him, ignoring the unconscious player slumped on the ground.

'She better not be here,' Kirito said to himself as he skidded to a stop. Sighing, Kirito turned the corner and went to walk into the spawn area, only to walk into another player.

*BANG*

'Ouch,' Kirito muttered to himself, rubbing his head as he took a step back.

'S-Sorry!' A female voice said. 'I should've been watching where I was walking. My mistake.'

'Nah, it's my fault for not checkin-' Kirito opened his eyes as he spoke, only to stop as he saw who he ran into. A chestnut-haired girl wearing basic starters clothes stood in front of him, her head tilted as he looked at him.

'Ahh, are you alright?' Asuna said as Kirito took another step back.

'What,' he said, his hair covering his face. 'Are you doing here?'

'I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about,' Asuna said, looking away at the buildings. 'I came here to save a friend. I told him that I'd make it up to them an-'

'That's a load of crap,' Kirito muttered quietly, interrupting Asuna. 'I'll ask again.' Kirito raised his head and flicked the hair out of his face. 'What are you doing here Asuna?'

Asuna immediately went for her rapier, only to realize that she wasn't playing ALO. Instead, she backed up and glared at the teen. 'How do you know my name?'

'Kirito!' Sinon ran up to the black-clad teen but stopped being friendly when she noticed the girl in front of him. 'Who's this?' She asked the boy.

'Of course,' Asuna said as she realized it was Kirito in front of her. 'It's another girl that's taken your heart.' Realizing that Sinon didn't know of their relationship, Asuna walked towards Kirito and put her arm around his.

'Stop.' Kirito glared at Asuna and she immediately withdrew her arm. Feeling his anger reaching the breaking point, Kirito turned to Sinon. 'Can you do me a favor?'

Sinon shrugged as she turned away from Asuna. 'Sure. What is it?'

Kirito turned to look at Asuna who had her back to him. 'Could you please take her to Argos? I'll go find a new place we can stay at.'

Sinon gave him a questioning look which he ignored. 'Fine, but be there by,' Sinon opened the menu and checked the time.

 _12:39_

'1:30. No later than that.'

'Deal.' Kirito took another look at Asuna before running off. Sinon sighed as she watched him leave. She could feel the anger pulsating off of him when she stopped beside him. Sighing, Sinon turned to the chestnut-haired girl and gave her a smile.

'Hey,' she said, getting her attention. 'I don't know why Kirito's angry with you, but could you please follow me?'

Asuna turned to Sinon and glared at her. 'And why should I do that?'

'Because,' Sinon said with an innocent smile. 'You just pissed off one of my friends and I really want to shoot you right now. Also, if I leave you alone, you might get attacked and sexually assaulted.' Asuna gulped as she looked at the smiling girl.

'I'll go with you,' Asuna said.

'Good. What's your name?'

'Asuna.'

'Mine's Sinon. I hope we get along well.'

'S-Sure.'

 _5 minutes later..._

Kirito came to a stop outside of Sinon's apartment door and growled. Slamming his fist into the wall, a message popped up.

 _Immortal Object_

'Yeah, yeah, I know,' Kirito murmured as he opened the door. Closing it behind him, he pressed his back against the door and slowly slid down until he was sitting down. 'Why?' Kirito said to himself. 'Why did you have to come into the game, Asuna? Why?' Shaking his head, Kirito got to his feet and walked into the kitchen. Sighing, Kirito opened the fridge and placed everything in his inventory. 'May as well collect everything and go.'

 _20 minutes later..._

Sinon sighed internally after pulling Asuna away from a clothes store, _for the fifth time_! 'We're almost there,' Sinon said to Asuna as she pouted again. _How did she get stuck with her?_

'How much further?' the chestnut-haired girl asked, looking at another store as they passed.

'Just up ahead,' Sinon replied as they made their way to Argo's house. Reaching the door, Sinon knocked and opened the door. Once Asuna closed the door behind her, Sinon walked to the other door and knocked on it. After waiting five seconds, Sinon opened the door. 'Hmm,' she muttered to herself as she entered with Asuna following behind her. 'She's not here.' Sighing, Sinon walked over to the lounge chair and flopped into it, resting on her back as a pillow slowly absorbed her head.

'Uhh,' Asuna said nervously, looking around the place. 'Are you sure that ou sure that this is alright to do?'

'Of course it is,' Sinon replied as she turned over and lay on her stomach. 'I'm pretty sure that you'll know this person once they enter. Afterall,' Sinon looked at Asuna with a glare. 'Kirito was pretty mad when he saw you, so I'm assuming you're one of his friends?'

Asuna flinched slightly at this, but quickly recovered. Walking over to a chair, she sat down in it and sighed. 'Actually, I'm Kirito-Kuns girlfriend.'

At the mention of girlfriend, Sinon's heart began to thump against her chest. Ignoring the ever increasing speed of her heart, Sinon looked at Asuna with an eyebrow raised. 'Oh, really? Can you tell me why Kirito was angry with you then?'

'I, ehh,' Asuna looked away, blushing furiously as she did. Sinon went to pry deeper but stopped when she received a message. Opening her menu, Sinon went to her messages and saw that the message was from Kirito. Opening it, she read the message with a frown.

 _Sinon,_

 _Sorry for leaving you with Asuna. I couldn't help myself. Anyway, if she says anything suspicious about me, it's probably best that you ignore it. Also, I found a place for us to stay that seems pretty good. I'm about to pay for a whole month's worth of rent but I wanted to ask you whether you wanted to share a room with two beds or just have separate rooms altogether. Anyway, after this I'll head over to Argos._

 _Kirito_

Sinon bit her bottom lips as she pondered what she should say back. Tapping on the reply button, her fingers flew across the keyboard before she tapped send.

 _Kirito,_

 _Get a room with two beds. I'll pay you back half of what you paid when we get there. Also, if you grabbed all my gear from my apartment, just drop it all on my bed when you get there. I'll sort it all out later. Also, hurry the hell up. I don't know how much longer I can keep my cool with your 'friend.'_

 _Sinon_

Satisfied with her response, Sinon closed her menu and groaned as she stood up. Walking over to the kitchen, she busied herself with making coffee as Asuna watched her. 'Coffee or tea?' Sinon asked as turned the kettle on.

'Tea please.' Sinon groaned internally as she turned around and opened a cupboard.

 _Where the hell did Argo put the tea bags?_ Sinon dug around for a bit before she found the tea bags. Sighing with relief, she turned around and placed it on the counter. Looking over at Argo's bedroom door, Sinon frowned as she pondered.

'Something wrong, ah,' Asuna tried to remember the other girl's name but failed.

'Sinon.'

'Ah, right. Something wrong, Sinon-san?'

'No need for honorifics,' Sinon replied as she moved out of the kitchen. Walking towards the bedroom door, Sinon frowned as she pushed the door open slowly. Sighing as she saw Argo's body curled up in the bed, Sinon quietly walked over to her. 'Argo, time to wake up,' Sinon whispered in her ear. 'Otherwise I'll tell everyone in town that you're selling info for free for a day.'

At these words, Argo jerked awake and looked at Sinon with wide-eyes, despite being fully asleep a few seconds ago. 'You wouldn't,' Argo said, fear in her eyes.

'I would,' Sinon said sweetly. 'Now, hurry up and get up! You have a guest outside.' Turning around, Sinon left the room and closed the door behind her. Asuna looked at Sinon and was about to ask a question, but Sinon beat her to the chase. 'She'll be up in a sec.' Hearing the kettle finishing boiling, Sinon walked over to it and took it off. Grabbing three cups, Sinon made coffee in two and then made tea in the other one. 'Your tea's done Asuna,' Sinon said to the girl sitting down.

'Thanks.' Asuna stood up from her chair and walked over to the counter. Taking her cup of tea, she took a sip of it and smiled. 'This is very well made, Sinon.'

'Ahh, thanks?' Sinon grabbed her cup and blew on it before taking a sip. As she set her cup down, Argo came out of her bedroom.

'Geeze, Sinonon,' Argo grumbled. 'Whatcha have ta wake me up for?' Taking a look around, Argo saw Asuna with her back turned. 'Asuna?'

Hearing a familiar voice, Asuna whipped around, only to be crushed by Argo in a fierce hug. 'Ehh? Argo?'

'That's me!' Releasing Asuna from the hug, Argo turned to Sinon. 'So, how did you get the almighty _Flash Sama_ into GGO?'

'I didn't,' Sinon stated as she grabbed her cupand took another sip from her coffee. 'All I know is that Kirito ran off towards the spawn tower this mornign and rain into her.'

'Hmm, interesting.' Argo walked away from both of them and sat down in a chair. 'So,' Argo said to Asuna. 'Why _are_ you here?'

'I'm wondering the same thing.' Argo turned around and watched as a girl with black hair down to her should blades entered.

'Ki-Kii-bou?' Argo couldn't help herself. She burst out into a laughing fit and began rolling around in her chair. Kirito sighed as he walked into the kitchen and took the other cup of coffee.

'Thanks, Sinon,' he said to the girl beside him.

Sinon smiled as she looked at Kirito. 'I thought that you'd want one once you got here.'

'Anyway,' Kirito took a careful sip from the coffee before looking at Asuna. 'You have a lot of explaining to do.'

'I think you do too, Kirito kun.'

'No honorifics, Asuna,' Kirito replied. 'Now, explain.'

'Fine.'

 **Alright, so I'm ending this chapter here. If you don't like the ending, I will actually come back and fix it up. Not lying, if you don't like how I ended this chapter, I'll come back and fix it up. Anyways, the reason why I'm uploading chapters this quickly is because I've been motivated for the past three days. Also, this will probs be the last chapter you'll see from me for the next week, possibly.**

 **Anyway, don't forget to fav/follow, all that good stuff. Make sure to check out my other story as well.**

 **-Striderm8**

 **P.S - Note to proofreader/best friend, I'll stop uploading chapters without letting you see them soon, maybe, hopefully, probably not. Anyway, seeya**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **My bad, I uploaded the wrong chapter to the story and now I look like an idiot. Oh well, my mistake. Anyway, hope ya peeps enjoy this chapter of the story! Also, I wrote this part after I finished the chapter.**

 **Fak. Writers block sa biatch.**

 **I also want to mention that I'm sorry if there isn't a lot of action going on recently in the chapters. I'll try to ramp it up when possible, but I'm working on other stuff right now. I've got a week of holidays left, an important assignment due, I've gotta write up to 500 words for something special (university-connected) and I've gotta get photoshop again so I can work on my art stuff. Overall, I'm procrastinating pretty hard whilst planning out this story. Honestly, if you're bored of waiting for chapters on this, check out my other story and the Sinoto community. That'll keep ya entertained, especially Shared Strength. It's a pretty god damn good story, though I won't say what happens near the end. Anyway, enjoy this chapter**

 _1:45…_

'Care to explain why you left so suddenly?' Sinon asked Kirito as they entered the hotels entrance. The hotel they were staying in looked quite basic on the outside; shabby brown paint with tinted windows that most players tended to avoid, but on the inside, it was a different story. Cool, black tiles covered the floor, the counter where the NPC stood to serve players was painted with a glossy black with gold outlines that acted as a mirror to those who looked at it. Support columns were also painted with the same glossy black with golden decorations engraved into it, simple but exquisite lights hanging from the ceiling, warming the room with its light. Kirito remained silent as he made his way to the elevator, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty lobby. 'Oi!' Sinon moved forwards and grabbed Kirito's shoulder. 'Are you listening to me- 'Sinon stepped back as Kirito faced her, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

'The room we're staying in is room 56,' Kirito said quickly to Sinon as he turned around. 'Passcode is 0824.' Without waiting for a reply, the teen quickly stepped into an elevator and pressed the 4th floor button.

'Wait!' Sinon darted forwards, only for the doors to close on her. Sighing, she moved to the next elevator and pressed the 4th floor button. Watching the doors close, she noticed that the insides of the elevator was also painted glossy black, golden highlights decorating the buttons. Closing her eyes, Sinon recalled the conversation they had a 10 minutes ago.

 _10 minutes ago…_

'Wait,' Asuna stared at Kirito's avatar. 'Why does your avatar look like a girl?'

Kirito sighed as he walked out of the kitchen with his coffee, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his face. 'That's not what we're here to talk about, Asuna. Hurry up and explain yourself, I'm not in a good mood.'

'Don't keep the _Black Swordsman_ waiting, Flash sama,' Argo said with a smile. 'You know how quickly Kiibou can lose his temper.'

'I know, I know,' Asuna muttered before looking at the teen. 'Well, I'm here to keep my promise, Kirito kun.'

'Promise?' Kirito's mind flashed back to the night he logged out of GGO and talked to his friends. He remembered what Asuna had said that night after he lost his temper.

' _I promise to make it up to you.'_

'I can't believe you actually did this,' Kirito muttered to himself, voice shaking.

'Hmm?' Sinon looked at Argo who shrugged her shoulders before yawning.

'Are you stupid?' Kirito shouted at Asuna, making the girl flinch. 'I came back into this game on my own will! Nobody forced me back into here! GOD!' Kirito punched the wall out of anger, creating a multitude of cracks that reached up towards the ceiling.

Asuna gulped nervously. 'I said I'd make it up to you, didn't I? I thought that I'd join you in the game so you weren't lonely- '

'If I wanted you to join me in GGO, I would've asked!' Sighing, Kirito went to take a sip of coffee, only to realize the cup was empty. 'I wanted to keep this a secret, you know that?'

'But why?' Asuna was confused. _Why would he want to keep this a secret?_

'Why?' Kirito sighed again before walking back into the kitchen and placing his cup in the sink. 'So you and the others wouldn't come barging into this game.' The annoyed teen turned around and moved next to Sinon, the girl moving over slightly so there was enough space. 'Anyway,' he said, clearly irritated. 'Who told you I was here.'

'Well, when Sugu said that I couldn't go see you because you were too sick to talk to anybody, I became suspicious and logged into ALO to see if your name was still in my friends list.' Asuna sighed before continuing, ignoring the curious look from Argo. 'Your name was still there, but it said that you were currently in another game. For some reason, it wouldn't say which game you were playing though.'

'So,' Kirito muttered to himself. 'You can still message me from different games, but can't figure out what game I'm playing.' Looking up at Asuna, Kirito shook his head. 'Still though, you became suspicious of me? Am I really that untrustworthy?'

'Well,' Asuna pondered. 'There was that one time in SAO that you- '

'SAO?' Sinon turned to Kirito, his face covered by his hair. 'Kirito, you're a _SAO Survivor_?'

'Wait, you didn't know?' Asuna laughed out loud while Argo sighed, stood up and walked towards the door. 'Wow, he doesn't trust you at all if he hasn't told you that much.' Sinon turned to look at Kirito, only to find him walking towards Asuna as she kept talking. 'If Kirito can't trust you, then he can't possibly want to hang around you- '

 _*SMACK*_

Sinon watched Kirito slap Asuna across the face, hard. A red handprint was left glowing angrily on Asuna's face as Kirito turned around. 'Stop being such a bitch,' he said to the shocked girl before walking out of the room.

'You might want ta follow him, Sinonon,' Argo said to the shocked sniper. Seeing her looking at Asuna with worried eyes, Argo sighed. 'Don't worry, I'll take care of her. She'll be fine.' Reassured, Sinon sprinted out the door as Argo sighed again and turned around. 'Now you've done it, Asuna,' she murmured to herself.

'That fucking idiot,' Kirito muttered to himself as he walked through SBC Glocken. Feeling something tap his shoulder, the teen looked up at the sky as the dark clouds began to pour down rain. Ignoring it, he began to run towards the hotel he had booked rooms at, Sinon not to far behind.

 _*Ding*_

Sinon was snapped out of her thoughts as the elevator doors opened. Shaking her head, the sniper stepped out and looked around. Three pathways were shown to her: Straight ahead into a dark hallway, to the left into a harshly lit hallway with black tiles or to the right with warm lights instead of harsh, white lights.

'I'm pretty sure Kirito said room 56,' Sinon muttered to herself as she looked around for any hints. Seeing a sign point straight ahead that read ' _Rooms 51 – 56'_ , she sighed and walked quickly into the dark hallway. Squinting, she found a near-invisible door that read _56_. 'Let's see here…' Finding the number pad, she input 0824, and with a satisfying click, the door unlocked. Sighing with relief, she pulled the door open and stepped in quietly before pulling shut the black door. 'Kirito? Are you there?'

 _*BOOM*_

'Eek!' Lightning flashed, lighting the apartment up briefly as thunder rumbled directly above the hotel. Sinon grabbed at her chest before sighing with relief. 'God, don't scare me like that.' After calming down, Sinon looked around for a light switch. Finding one on the wall to her left, she flipped it and turned the light on in the bedrooms.

'Wow,' Sinon said, her breath taken away from what lay in front of her. Two beds in front of her were pushed up against the wall with a divider between them to block the view of the other bed. A wall made of simple windows were directly ahead of Sinon, revealing the glowing neon-lights of SBC Glocken to the apartment. Two curtains were draped on either side of the windows, opened to show the view from the third floor. Taking a couple of steps forward, the teen realized that there was a kitchen on the right. Walking through the archway that led to it, she was, once again, astounded. A black counter that overlooked the beds was the same glossy black seen in the lobby, and underneath in the cupboards, countless plates and bowls were stacked neatly. Turning around, Sinon saw the stove was also black with the exception being the switches which were silver. Hanging above the stove were numerous pans and on the bench next to the stove, there were three pots sitting next to each other.

'It's pretty nice, isn't it?' Turning around, Sinon saw Kirito leaning against the archway into the kitchen, drying his long hair with a towel.

'I've never seen you wear clothes like that before,' Sinon stated as she watched the teen enter. Kirito was wearing a simple black singlet with a matching pair of shorts, water slowly dripping from his long hair as he attempted to dry it.

'Well,' Kirito shrugged his shoulders. 'When my avatar got changed, most of my clothes and equipment changed as well.' Sighing, he moved past Sinon and opened a cupboard whilst hanging his towel over his shoulder. Bringing out a kettle, he looked at Sinon as he moved to the sink. 'Coffee or tea?'

'Coffee.' Sighing, the girl walked out of the kitchen back towards the beds. 'Hey, Kirito?'

'Hmm?'

'Where's the bathroom?'

'Next to the light-switch. Make sure to lock the door.'

'Sure.' Making her way towards the bathroom, Sinon closed the door behind her as she entered. 'I'm not even surprised at this point,' Sinon muttered to herself as she examined the bathroom. To her left, two large mirrors were on the wall above two black counters. To her right, a simple toilet sat in the corner with a shower a meter from it. Ahead of her, however, was a sliding door. Curious, she walked towards it and opened the door. Sinon gasped as she looked through. Ahead of her was a small spa, capable of fitting four people at once.

'How is it?' Kirito's muffled voice came through the door.

'It's-It's amazing! Thank you!' Sinon said happily as she bounded back towards the door. Swinging it open, she darted forward and wrapped Kirito in a tight hug, surprising the teen.

'Ahh, Sinon san?' Excited, Sinon let the teen go before taking a step back.

'Sorry,' she replied with a smile. 'It's just that I've never met someone who has put this much thought into renting a room. Whenever I party up with others, I'm either stuck in a room with one bed with a creep, or have to rent my own room whilst others live in luxury.'

'Is it really that big of a deal?' Kirito said whilst scratching his head. Sighing, he looked up at Sinon before giving her a smile. 'Anyway, sorry about before. I didn't mean to lose my temper like that.'

'Hey!' Sinon pouted as she leaned forwards. 'Don't ruin the mood!'

'Sorry, sorry.' Kirito shook his head in defeat. 'Anyway, I think I forgot to tell you something.'

'Hmm? What is it?'

Kirito took a step back as he gave Sinon an analyzing look, hand rubbing his chin. 'You look amazing in that outfit. I forgot to mention that before.'

'B-Baka!' Sinon blushed furiously as she darted forwards and placed her hands-on Kirito chest. Pushing as hard as she can, Sinon forced the teen to the ground, only to lose her balance as she did. 'W-w-w-w-w-watch out!'

'Oof!' Kirito groaned as he felt a body on top of him, groaning as well. Kirito sat up as he rubbed his head before leaning against the wall behind him. 'You alright, Sinon?' He asked as he opened his eyes.

'I'm fine,' she muttered.

'Gah, Sinon?' Kirito blushed as he averted his gaze from the girl.

'What?' Sinon opened her eyes and saw the teen looking away. Looking down, she realized she was directly on top of him, her whole body pressing against his. 'Don't, look,' Sinon said, blushing furiously.

'I'm not,' Kirito quickly replied as he covered his eyes with his hand, blocking all light. Feeling the girl get off him, he sighed in relief. 'Can I open my eyes now?' Kirito said as he removed his hand. Getting no answer, he sighed as he heard the bathroom door lock click. 'I'll take that as a yes, then.' Yawning, Kirito walked back into the kitchen as he rubbed the back of his neck. Opening a cupboard, Kirito recalled the conversation from earlier as he grabbed a cup. 'You know what,' he muttered to himself. 'I don't feel like coffee.' Nonetheless, Kirito began making coffee, and when he finished it, he set the cup on the bench before walking towards the windows. 'I hope she can forgive me…'

Sinon's heart stopped thumping against her chest as she stepped into the shower. Closing the glass door behind her, she turned the hot water on and winced slightly as the water ran down her body. Sinon sighed in relief as steam began to rise from the heat. Closing her eyes, she stood in the water for a couple of minutes before turning the water off. As the steam began to vanish, Sinon opened the door and stepped out, shaking her head, sending multiple water droplets flying around. Shivering slightly, Sinon grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it before walking towards the door. Opening it slightly, she poked her head out and looked around for Kirito. Seeing nobody, Sinon sighed in relief and stepped out. Closing the door, she sneaked forwards towards her bed, holding the towel up just in case it decided to reveal her naked body.

'Kirito?' Sinon said aloud, wondering where the boy was. Stopping in front of her bed, she heard the teen mutter something. Curious, she walked towards the divider and stood up on her toes, peeking over at the teen on the bed. Seeing Kirito in his clothes from before laying on the bed, Sinon smiled to herself as her friend shuffled around.

'Gotta go repair my gear…' Kirito mumbled in his sleep, turning his back to the girl.

'Boys are so cute when they sleep,' Sinon murmured to herself as she turned away. Unwrapping the towel, Sinon took the towel and folded it before placing it on the end of the bed. Shivering, Sinon wrapped herself in her arms as she grabbed her clothes from her bed. From what she could see, Kirito had gathered all her belongings and dropped it on the bed. 'He could've at least organized it somewhat,' Sinon murmured to herself as she found her underwear. Pulling it on, she found her sweater and slipped into it before grabbing all her belongings and dumping it into a nearby wardrobe.

'Sinon…' The girl whipped around as Kirito muttered her name in his sleep. Her heart thumped against her chest again as her face went slightly red.

'Baka,' Sinon muttered to herself before yawning. She looked at the time.

 _2:05…_

Walking towards the light-switch, she flicked it off and made her way to her bed. Settling herself in, she grabbed at the sheets before closing her eyes. 'It's storming outside, so a nap won't hurt.'

 _Hours later…_

Kirito slowly opened his eyes as he woke up. Yawning, he opened his menu and checked the time.

 _8:35…_

Groaning, the teen got out of his bed and stretched before walking up to the windows. Looking out at SBC Glocken, lightning flashed again as rain pattered against the windows.

'So,' Kirito muttered to himself. 'You made this even more realistic than before, didn't you, Kayaba?' Sighing, he closed the curtains on the windows before yawning again. Walking towards the kitchen, the teen saw the cup of coffee sitting on the bench and sighed. 'So Sinon didn't have it afteral- '. A bloodcurdling scream shocked Kirito as he whipped around and saw Sinon sitting up in her bed.

'I-I-I-I'm not a m-murderer,' Sinon whispered to herself, eyes wide open as Kirito quickly moved to her side.

'Sinon,' the frightened girl turned her head slowly to the worried teen, tear forming in the corner of her eyes. 'I'm here for you.' Kirito took the girls hand and held it gently as he sat on the bed.

'Kirito,' Sinon murmured as she looked at the teen. Her tears began to roll down her face as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around the boy. 'Kirito, tell me that everything will be alright. Please,' the girl sniffled.

'I promise you, Sinon,' the teen said as he held Sinon in his arms, her face buried in his chest. 'Everything will be alright, no matter what happens. I'll be there for you, through the dark times and the bright times.'

Sinon looked up at Kirito as he smiled reassuringly at her. 'Kirito, will you stay with me tonight?' She asked him, blushing slightly.

'Of course,' Kirito replied, pulling the powder-blue hair girl in closer. 'I'll stay with you for the rest of the night, if you want me to.'

'Thank you,' she murmured before pulling him into the bed with her. Kirito pulled the sheets over both of them as Sinon snuggled closer, using his arm as a pillow.

 _I hope you feel better, Sinon,_ Kirito thought as he closed his eyes. _After all, I think I might be falling for you._ Feeling sleep take over his body, Kirito began to dream.

'Thank you, Kirito,' Sinon murmured as she watched the teen fall asleep. Closing her eyes, she shuffled closer to Kirito before falling asleep.

 _15 hours later…_

'Are you sure that you're fine?' Sinon smiled at the worried teen as they reached the teleport gate.

'Kirito,' the girl walked in front of him, stopping him in his path. 'I'm fine now, so you don't need to worry. Besides,' Sinon turned around and walked towards the teleporter. 'We're here to explore the new floor, aren't we?'

Kirito sighed in defeat. 'True. Well, let's go then.' Walking forward, the teen joined Sinon in the teleporter as she activated it. Feeling his body fall apart, Kirito closed his eyes as a bright blue light enveloped his body. After a few seconds, the teen felt his feet touch the ground and sighed.

'We're here,' Sinon said as Kirito opened his eyes.

'Woah,' he said as he stepped forwards, looking around at his scenery. Bright, green meadows surrounded the two players, oak trees littering the meadows. A fiery sun smiled down at them from above, mini hills creating perfect views. Birds chirped cheerfully as a cool breeze ran through his hair. Standing on a stone pathway, Kirito's eyes widened as he recognized his surroundings. 'I-Impossible,' he muttered.

'What's wrong, Kirito?' Sinon asked as she walked towards him.

Kirito smiled as he turned around, greeting the large city that sat behind him. 'Floor 1, The Town of Beginnings,' he said to Sinon as she stopped beside him. 'Kayaba, you did this on person, didn't you?' He muttered to himself before taking a step backwards. Grinning, Kirito whipped around and sprinted off into the meadows, Sinon following him.

'Kirito!' She shouted as she caught up to him. 'Where are you going?'

'To the boss room!' Kirito shouted, running through the grassy meadows. As the two players ran through the grass, a blue light flashed ahead of them as a fierce boar stepped out, snorting as it did. Sinon reached for the sniper on her back, but Kirito held out his hand and stopped her.

'Why?' She asked him, running past the boar who snorted with disinterest.

'That's a Frenzy Boar,' Kirito replied as a small town came into view. 'In SAO, they were the weakest mob, and only attacked players when they were threatened.'

'I see,' Sinon murmured. Without any more words, the two players continued running. For Kirito, the next few minutes were a blur, but for Sinon, she was amazed by the incredibly realistic features. NPC's seemed more like real people, and the cottages seemed like something straight out of a fantasy world. But Kirito didn't stop running, and so Sinon didn't either. Soon, the two players were jogging through a forest, both out of breath.

'We're here,' Kirito huffed as he came to a stop, hands on his knees.

'Why'd you make me run this far, Kirito?' Sinon asked as she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

'This is the dungeon with the boss room,' Kirito said as he stood up straight and stretched. 'You can either go straight ahead to the boss room and do multiple battles, or go around and avoid battles.' Kirito looked at Sinon. 'What do you want to do?'

Sinon sat down and sighed as her stamina recovered. 'How tough are the mobs?'

'Hmm,' Kirito scratched his cheek absentmindedly. 'They shouldn't be too powerful. At the least, a bit more powerful than the Frenzy Boars.'

'I see.' Kirito watched Sinon as her eyes clouded over.

'Um, Sinon?' Kirito waved his hand in front of Sinon's face. Getting no reaction, Kirito sighed and poked the girl in the cheek.

'Hey!' Sinon shouted, smacking Kirito in the leg as she came out of her daze. 'What was that for?'

'Sorry, sorry,' Kirito muttered before backing up. 'You just had this look on your face that was making me curious.' Holding his hand out, Sinon took it and he helped her up. 'So, which way do you want to go?'

'Let's go around the enemies for now,' she replied. 'I'd like to save ammo for now.'

'Right.' Walking forwards, the two players entered the dungeon, leaving the light behind them.

 **Alright, sorry if there is really isn't that much action yet. Though, I'll say this, the next chapter will most definitely contain the boss fight. Also, I'm thinking of adding lvls to everybody in this story so you are able to see who would generally have higher stats. Anyway, I'll probably be uploading a chapter to this story next instead of my other one.**

 **If you're new, make sure to follow/favorite the story**

 **-Striderm8**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Thanks for the follows and favorites on this story peeps, might be starting a new story soon around Kirito and Sinon being Special Agents. Why? Because I'm really enjoying stories where they are part of Special Forces and Military stuff.**

'Sinon! Straight ahead!' Kirito sliced through a metallic Kobold minion as Sinon fell to the ground. Pushing her Hecate's stock into her shoulder, Sinon closed an eye as she aimed at the mechanical beast in front of her.

'Bang!' She said, pulling the trigger. In the blink of an eye, the bullet pierced straight through the Kobold Minion's head, a tiny red hole in its forehead. 'I'm done here,' Sinon said as Kirito finished off the last minion.

'Same here,' Kirito replied as he clipped his sword to his belt. Looking around, he sighed at the mechanical parts laying around. 'I'm surprised.'

Sinon strapped Hecate over her shoulder. 'What's surprising?'

Kirito knelt and picked up a part of the minion's arm, the metal parts hitting against each other, dull rings emitting from it. 'Well, in SAO, the Kobold Minions were actual animals, but now?' Kirito stood up, tossing the robot arm to the side, creating a dull echo throughout the dungeon as hit the cold, metal floor. 'They're just robots.' Looking around, the whole dungeon was made of a strange metal, stray wires and half-built robots laying around. Glowing lines ran throughout the dungeon, harsh white lights buzzing angrily above. Sighing, Kirito walked forwards, heading towards the boss door.

'So, I guess this dungeon was completely different in SAO?' Sinon asked, trailing behind Kirito carefully, avoiding the bodies of the robots.

'Not really. All that's really changed is what the dungeon is made of.' Without saying anything else, Kirito placed his hand on the boss door and looked up. A steel door with Kobold Minions engraved into it blocked the path to the boss, different types of metals visible on the door. 'You ready, Sinon?' Kirito asked.

'I'm ready,' she replied, pulling Hecate off her shoulder. Nodding to the girl, Kirito pushed the door open slowly, the door creaking loudly. Entering through the crack, the two teens slipped into the darkness as the door slowly shut itself, scraping against the ground.

'Prepare yourself,' Sinon heard Kirito mutter next to her. Walking forward slowly, they kept their shoulders next to each other, keeping an eye out for hostile mobs.

' _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.'_

 _*Static*_

 _Click_

Kirito shielded his eyes as bright, harsh, white lights in the ceiling buzzed to life. Blinking, he lowered his arms and looked around at the boss room. It was like the dungeon; the walls, ceiling, floor – all made of the same strange metal, stray wires hanging about. Four columns made of titanium stood proudly in the center, blue, glowing lines running up the titanium pillar into the ceiling.

'Umm, Kirito?' Sinon pulled on his coat, making him yelp. 'What is that?' She asked, pointing at the ceiling, a large, dark object resting in it.

Kirito looked up at where Sinon was pointing and gulped. 'I think,' he said aloud as the large, dark mass fell from the ceiling. 'That is the boss.'

 _CRACK_

Kirito and Sinon backed up as the boss straightened its back up. Half-robot, half-Kobold lord, Illfang's roar came out as nothing more than a mechanical creak. Waist down, Illfang had red, furry legs with simple boots. However, waist up was a different story. Mechanical Kobold Minion parts made up Illfang's torso, arms and legs sticking out from the side. Its arms were made of titanium, blue, electric lines running up them. Illfang's head was tilted dangerously, one half-metal with a blue, glowing eye and the other half furry red, a glowing red eye.

'Sinon, stay back and cover me,' Kirito said to the sniper as he began running sideways. As Illfang roared, the teen pulled out his pistol and focused, making the spread circle tighter.

 _1…_

 _2…_

 _3…_

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Kirito dived behind a column as his three bullets connected with Illfang, hitting it directly in the shoulder. Illfang grunted as a large sub-machine gun materialized in its hand. Grinning, the boss pointed the weapon at the column and pulled the trigger. Kirito flinched as the bullets smashed into the column, the deafening gunshots making it impossible to hear anything.

'Damnit,' Sinon muttered to herself as she watched Kirito get pinned. Falling to the ground, Sinon rested Hecate against her shoulder as she aimed down sights. Taking a deep breath, Sinon focused as her aim became more accurate, the moving circles fixating on Illfang's neck. Pulling the trigger, Hecate unleashed its power and hit Illfang directly in its neck, the recoil lifting the barrel into the air. Before the boss could recover, Sinon got to her feet and ran towards one of the columns, swinging the anti-material sniper rifle onto her back.

'Nice shot, Sinon!' Kirito shouted as he darted out from behind his cover, hand reaching for the metal cylinder on his waist. Pulling out his Photon Sword, he activated it before leaping up onto Illfang's shoulder. As the boss grunted and raised its hand to hit the teen, Kirito stabbed into Illfang's shoulder, cutting straight through the metal. Sliding downwards, the teen sliced straight through the boss's torso, electric sparks flying out of its mechanical body. Falling to the ground, Kirito darted out from underneath Illfang as it swung around wildly, a long, red gash visible in its torso that cut from the shoulder to its waist.

'It's onto its second health bar,' Sinon called out from behind cover as Illfang began shooting at Kirito, the teen narrowly avoiding a near-fatal attack. Reading the bosses data, her eyes narrowed as she saw its name.

 _Robo-Fang, The Reborn Kobold Lord_

 _2/3 Health Bars Remaining_

 _Robo-Fang, The Reborn Kobold Lord, huh?_ Kirito thought to himself as he pressed his back against one of the titanium columns, the boss spraying bullets in his direction. Peeking out from cover, the teen saw Sinon step out from cover with her sniper raised. As she shot, Kirito pulled out his pistol and moved away from the column, shooting at the Reborn Kobold Lord as he ran towards the sniper. Robo-Fang screamed in pain as the bullets pierced its body, Sinon's bullet hitting it directly in the head and Kirito's hitting the arms and chest.

'Nice shot, Sinon,' Kirito said as he stopped beside her.

'I suppose your shooting was acceptable,' she replied, poking her tongue out at the teen. Pulling back the bolt, Sinon aimed down the sights and shot at Robo-Fang who had taken a step forward. As the boss fell backwards, its health now in the red of the final health bar, Kirito sheathed his pistol as Sinon swung Hecate onto her back.

'This boss seems pretty easy, doesn't it?' Kirito said as the Kobold Lord came to its feet, wobbling slightly.

'It does seem easy,' Sinon replied as she reached behind her waist. Pulling out a Glock 18, the sniper released the safety and focused. As her spread circle became tighter, Sinon exhaled and pulled the trigger multiple times, unleashing a barrage of 9×19 mm Parabellum bullets from the extended magazine attached to the pistol. Finishing reloading his FN-Five Seven, Kirito joined in, adding to the barrage of bullets piercing Robo-Fang.

 _*Click*_

'Huh,' Kirito reloaded his pistol before placing it back in its sheathe, Sinon mirroring his movements.

'Is it dead now?' Sinon asked as she slowly approached the fallen body of the boss. Reaching its legs, Sinon bent over and touched Robo-Fang's legs. Feeling the warmth coming from them, her eyes widened as she fell backwards.

' _GRghR!'_ Robo-fang sat up and grabbed Sinon with both hands, tightening its hands around the now trapped sniper.

'Sinon!' Kirito shouted as Robo-Fang began to glow, its chest beginning to glow bright red as a self-destruction module activated, the blue eye now turning into a scarlet red.

 _CRACK_

'K-Kirito!' Sinon cried out as her bones began breaking, her health dropping quickly. 'H-Help m-me!'

' _HagrhAhaH!'_ Robo-Fang mechanical voice laughed out loud as a countdown began, steam beginning to rise from the metal torso.

 _5…_

 _4…_

 _3-_

 _*CLUNK*_

'You really think I'd let you blow up?' Kirito growled as he sheathed his pistol, the bullet piercing the boss's head. Darting forward at an incredible speed, the teen sheathed his FN Five-Seven and pulled out his Photo Sword, the Kagemitsu G4 corresponding with its master's feelings, buzzing angrily as it approached the Reborn Kobold Lord. In a flash, Kirito sliced upwards through Robo-Fang's arms, making the arms explode into pixels. Roaring in pain, Robo-Fang fell backwards onto its back as the teen caught the sniper with his free arm whilst pulling out a med-kit. Opening it quickly, Kirito pulled out some pain-killers and dropped them into Sinon's mouth.

'T-Thanks,' she murmured before closing her eyes, falling into a light doze. Kirito smiled as her health stopped dropping, resting in the low yellow. Sighing with relief, the teen pulled out health pills and dropped them down her throat. As her health rose back into the green, Kirito rested her onto the ground before turning to Robo-Fang.

'That was your last mistake,' Kirito muttered to himself as he approached Robo-Fang. Walking onto the boss's body, the pissed-off swordsman raised his sword above his head. 'Die.' Bringing it down violently, Kirito stabbed straight through the Reborn Kobold Lord's skull, killing it instantly.

 _CRACK_

The boss exploded into thousands of metallic blue and green polygons as Kirito deactivated his Photon Sword, clipping it to his belt. Sighing with relief, the teen turned around and hurried back to Sinon's side as the doors to the next floor swung open. Seeing the girl's broken bones, Kirito sighed.

'I suppose I'll have to carry you back to SBC Glocken,' Kirito groaned before smiling at his friend. _That was so stupid of you,_ he thought to himself as he picked Sinon up in a bridal carry. Walking towards the next floor door, Sinon shuffled around in his arms, her face screwed up in pain.

'N-No…'

'Hey,' Kirito said to the sleeping girl as he stopped walking. 'You'll be alright, I promise you.' Resting his head against hers, Sinon lost the face of pain and sighed with relief. Sighing, Kirito lifted his head and made his way towards the door. 'I won't lose another comrade,' he said to himself as he walked through. 'I promise I won't let another comrade die ever again.'

 _1 Hour Later…_

'Where am I?' Sinon rubbed her eyes as she woke up, a black ceiling greeting her. Sitting up, pain flared through her ribs and legs, making her wince.

'Woah, take it easy!' Looking to her left, Sinon watched Kirito lean forward to help her.

'Kirito,' she murmured as she felt the teen move some pillows behind her. 'Thanks,' Sinon muttered as Kirito sat back in his chair.

'You need to take it easy for now,' Kirito said as Sinon leaned against the pillows. 'After the boss fight, I brought you back to SBC Glocken and tried my best to heal you, but apparently broken bones need time to heal.' Kirito sighed as he leaned backwards in his chair. 'Anyway, how are you feeling?'

Sinon looked down at her hands, realizing for the first time that they were covered in bandages. 'I feel alright, I suppose,' she replied. Moving forward, Sinon winced as pain flared up in her ribs. Lifting her shirt up, she also saw bandages covering her body. 'Kirito?'

'Yeah?' Kirito saw Sinon looking down at her stomach, bandages covering most of her torso. Realizing what she was thinking, Kirito immediately gulped nervously.

'You didn't _happen_ to have undressed me while you bandaged me, did you?' Sinon looked up and stared at Kirito with intent to kill, a fiery aura surrounding her.

'O-Only a bit!' Kirito stuttered as he raised his hands in front of him. 'I swear! I only lifted your shirt up high enough so I could bandage you!' Lowering his head, Kirito apologized. 'I'm sorry!' Fearing the worst, the teen shut his eyes tight, but was shocked when Sinon began laughing a sincere laugh. 'Y-You aren't mad at me?'

'Of course not!' Sinon giggled, her hand resting underneath her chin. 'I trust that you didn't do anything to me. I was just surprised by your reaction, that's all.' Kirito sighed with relief as he straightened up in his seat.

'Thank god,' he muttered to himself. 'I thought I was done for.' Realizing what he just said, Kirito laughed at himself.

'Anyway,' Sinon leaned forward and poked Kirito in the face, surprising him again. 'What do you plan on doing while I'm stuck like this?'

'Well,' Kirito stood up and walked towards the window, looking out at the dark-storm clouds looming over SBC Glocken. 'I'll wait and see how long you're going to be stuck here.' Kirito turned around and smiled at Sinon. 'What type of friend would I be if I didn't?' Sinon's heart began thumping against her chest, harder than it had ever done before as she blushed.

'Kirito, I- '

'Also,' Kirito interrupted Sinon as he turned around and sat on the edge of the bed. 'You're in my bed, if you haven't noticed already.'

'I am?' Looking to her right, she saw the black divider that separated the two beds. 'W-W-Why am I in your bed?' Sinon asked, flustered.

'Haven't you realized yet?' Kirito sighed at Sinon's confused look. 'My bed is more comfortable than yours, that's why you're in my bed.'

'Oh, that makes sense,' she replied. 'Wait, why is your bed more comfortable that mine?'

'Just is,' Kirito said with a smirk. 'Anyway, Argo sent me a message. Apparently, we are beginning to attract attention.'

'How? All we did was defeat the 2nd Floor's boss and…' Sinon trailed off. 'Oh, that's why.'

'Yeah. After we defeated the boss, a massive notification board appeared in the center of SBC Glocken revealing the names of the players who beat the boss and the time it took them.' Kirito sighed as he laid down on the bed, resting his head on Sinon's legs. 'Our time was 3:48.'

'Really?' Sinon remembered back to the first boss fight which went for well over 10 minutes. 'That's ridiculous fast, especially for just us two.'

'Well,' Kirito said as he poked Sinon's face. 'If the bosses work the same as in SAO, then floors 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 should have extremely difficult bosses. Unless the floor 1 boss became as difficult as every 25th floor boss, I can't really think of anything.'

Sinon ignored Kirito's finger and sighed. 'Well, I suppose that could be a possible theory of why we defeated it in the first place, but that seems highly unlikely. Still though, that doesn't explain why the boss was so much weaker compared to Zephr.'

'Maybe the bosses are stronger when there are more players present in the boss room?' Kirito speculated. 'I mean, it's a possibility. It would mean that one or two parties would have an easier time beating a boss rather than relying on sheer numbers which makes the fight too easy, especially because this game is gun based. It'd would also explain why the 2nd floor boss was a lot weaker than the 1st floor boss.'

'I suppose so.' Sinon sighed. 'I suppose we could ask Argo for some help with this.

'Even if she did know,' Kirito replied. 'That rat would charge us a ridiculous amount of credits and most likely force information out of us about the boss fight. Sinon laughed at this, ignoring the pain slowly creeping up in her ribs.

'True,' she giggled as Kirito sat up, yawning as he did.

'Anyway, this is an order,' Kirito said as he stood up. 'Until you heal up, you will _not_ leave the apartment, an if you need help with anything, you will call either me or Argo to help.'

Sinon sighed and gave Kirito a mock salute. 'Yes sir!' Kirito laughed at this before walking towards the kitchen. 'So, what's the time?' She asked as the teen opened the fridge.

'Hmm.' Kirito swiped open his menu and looked at the time.

 _1:30…_

'1:30 in the afternoon,' Kirito said out aloud, closing his menu. 'Though, with this weather, you probably can't tell by looking out the windows.' Sighing, the teen closed the fridge door before walking back towards his bed. 'You should get some rest while you're healing,' Kirito said as he climbed into the bed.

'Sure,' she replied. 'But _why_ are you getting into the bed as well?'

Pulling the sheets over both of them, Kirito rested his head gently against Sinon's arm. 'This _is_ my bed. Besides, I'll fall asleep quickly, so don't worry about that.' The girl blushed furiously as Kirito closed his eyes, a peaceful look coming onto his voice.

'B-Baka,' she murmured as Kirito dozed peacefully. Sighing, Sinon moved the pillows behind her so she could lay down again. Satisfied, she laid down onto her back, guiding Kirito alongside her. As Sinon looked up at the ceiling, she could feel the teen resting against her shoulder, his face buried into her arm. 'May as well sleep.' Closing her eyes, Sinon quickly drifted away, Kirito's warm body leaning against her.

 **There, chapter finished. I'm annoyed cause I tried to finish this chapter but my tv kept turning itself off and GOD IT IS ANNOYING. OH LOOK, IT JUST DID IT AGAIN! Fricking hell, anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **-Striderm8**


	14. Chapter 14

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Alright, I'm back with another chapter for this story! From now on, I'll try to update both stories regularly once per fortnight, one for this and next week for the other. However, I may not be able to keep up that schedule. The laptop I was using (which tbh was pretty shit) has most of my files on it and the charger broke. I managed to get some files off of it, and now I'm using a really old laptop that we've had for ages, so sorry if I can't keep my schedule. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

 _3 Days later…_

 _BOOM!_

Lightning flashed through the sky as thunder boomed, the deafening noise going unnoticed by the two teenagers walking through the rain. SBC Glocken was currently in the middle of a thunder storm, rain pelting down at the glowing city. Dark, almost pitch-black clouds covered the sky, the only light being produced being the artificial lights and lightning.

'Sinon, are you sure you're alright to be walking?' Kirito stayed close to Sinon's side, afraid of the girl falling over on the wet sidewalk as he held a black and green umbrella between them.

'Kirito, I'm fine,' Sinon replied as she hugged herself to stay warm, freezing cold winds howling. Touching her ribs, she winced slightly before shivering again. Sighing, Kirito wrapped his left arm around Sinon's waist and brought her closer, his warmth infecting her cold body. 'T-Thanks,' she murmured, cheeks slowly becoming a rosy red.

'You should've said something earlier,' Kirito frowned as they reached Argo's apartment. Knocking on the door, Sinon entered and sighed with relief as the warmth it her. Stepping in and closing the door, Kirito shook the umbrella before hanging it on a hanger before looking around. They stood in a small room with white wallpaper, a chair in the left corner with a door straight ahead of them.

'Ahh, you're here.' Argo said as she opened the door towards her living quarters. 'Sinonon, Kii-bou, ya both look great.' Sinon blushed at this as Kirito scratched the back of his neck nervously. 'Anyway, come in.' Following the info broker into the room, the two teenagers smiled as they admired Argo's new apartment. To their left, a door that most likely led to the bathroom was shut, steam rising from underneath he cracks in the door. Walking forwards, two large lounge chairs with an armchair created a semicircle around a coffee table, a large tv hanging up on the wall. A simple light hung in the center of the room, illuminating everything. The walls were painted an oak-brown, matching carpet on the floor. Looking straight ahead, Kirito noticed two doors ahead of him, one partially opened.

'Well, Whatcha ya think?' Argo asked as she spun around, arms crossed over.

'It's a nice change from the usual,' Kirito said to Argo who sighed.

'You're no fun, Kii-bou,' the info broker shook her head before settling into the armchair, instantly sinking into it.

'What'd you call us here for?' Kirito asked as he walked over towards one of the lounge chairs, Sinon following close behind.

'Well,' Argo opened her menu as Kirito laid down, Sinon sitting down in the other chair. 'Rumors are spreading around that both of ya are cheating.'

'Seriously?' Kirito sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. 'It's a death game, and they're complaining because I could _possibly_ be cheating?'

'It's like the Beater situation, ehh Kii-bou?'

'Another stupid situation,' Kirito replied before closing his eyes.

'Anyway,' Sinon said, gaining Argo's attention. 'Do you have new information on the boss?'

'Straight in ta business, Sinonon?' Argo sighed before sitting up and closing her menu. 'Yeah, I got some new info for ya.' Leaning forwards, Argo clasped her hands together as she got serious. 'Some players stumbled upon the boss room a couple of hours ago. We still don't know its attack patterns, so you and Kii-bou are the best choice we got at scouting it out without any casualties.'

'Is that why you called us out here?' Kirito said, opening an eye to look at Argo. Sighing, Kirito stretched his arms above his head. 'I can go out with somebody to scout the boss room, Argo, but I can't take Sinon. In her current condition, well…' Kirito trailed off as he looked at the girl. 'I'm not taking this risk.'

'I understand,' Argo replied, nodding her head before glancing a Sinon. 'Have you asked Sinonon about this, though?'

'It's alright,' Sinon said with a smile. 'It pains me to not help, but I'm currently weak. I need to get stronger to fight in this world.' After hearing this, Kirito frowned and opened his mouth to speak, only for the bathroom door to open. As Asuna walked out of the bathroom, she noticed Kirito and Sinon sitting in the lounge.

'What's wrong, Asuna?' Argo asked as the chestnut-haired girl glared at Sinon.

'Nothing.' She replied curtly. 'Nothing at all.' After glaring at Sinon, Asuna turned to Kirito and gave a smile that penetrated his heart.

 _Stop that,_ Kirito growled to himself internally as his heart began to beat faster, quickly becoming painful. Without revealing his emotions, Kirito kept a blank face as he looked at Asuna. Sinon noticed Kirito's unusual behavior but said nothing.

'Kirito, what's wrong?' Asuna asked the onyx-haired teen, worried about him. 'If it's about earlier, I forgive you for that.'

'Asuna,' Kirito said as he looked away. 'Just stop. I know what you're trying to do.' Sighing, Kirito looked away and closed his eyes again, feigning sleep. 'I'm having a nap, have fun, ladies.'

'It was worth a try,' Asuna sighed before turning to Sinon. 'Sinon, was it?' Bowing, Sinon was surprised to see the chestnut-haired girl apologizing to her. 'I'm sorry for what I said a couple of days ago. It was rude of me, and honestly, I went too far.'

'I don't accept your apology,' Sinon said coldly, gaining a smirk from Argo and a surprised look from Asuna who straightened up.

'Why?'

'Three reasons. One,' Sinon raised her hand and lifted her pointing finger to the roof. 'You automatically assumed that because Kirito hadn't told me about his past, he didn't trust me. Who tells someone about their past after knowing them for a couple of days? Are you stupid?' Sinon lifted her second finger as Asuna stares at her, shock written all over her pretty face. 'Two. When we first met, I was being generous, but all you did was glare at me before I mentioned the possibility of assault in SBC Glocken.' Raising her third finger, Sinon looked over Kirito sleeping before speaking. 'Three. When I asked if you were Kirito's friend, you instead lied to me and said that you were his girlfriend, when in fact, you had ended the relationship a while ago.' Sighing, Sinon stood up from the chair and walked towards Kirito, kneeling in front of the chair. 'Actually, there are four reasons why.' Turning to look at Asuna, her eyebrows narrowed, her turquoise eyes hardening over as she glared. 'I don't like your attitude.'

'Well,' Argo said aloud, bringing Asuna out of her shocked state before Sinon turned back to Kirito. 'There ya have it, Flash sama. That's the sniper known as _Sinon._ Ice-cold and unforgiving, she has never let a target escape her sights before.' Snickering, the info-broker opened her menu before looking over at Asuna. 'If ya want, I could sell you info about her, but it'll cost ya.'

'No thanks,' Asuna replied as she glared at Sinon. Stepping forwards, she rested her hand on Sinon's shoulder, making the sniper look at her. 'First off, _Sinon,_ I don't like your attitude either, and about your second point? Threatening to shoot somebody isn't generous. In fact, it's anything _but_ generous.' Sinon stood up, Asuna's hand still on her shoulder. 'Also, I've known Kirito kun much longer than you, so I know that he only trusts people who knows his past. Hell, I know him he trusts me even more than you because I also experienced the same past.'

'Asuna,' Argo warned her. 'That's enough now.'

Ignoring Argo, Asuna continued, her voice growing louder as she ranted. 'I've known Kirito kun for over two years, and what, you've known him for about a week? Of course he'll trust me more than you! He loved me and I loved him! Kirito kun probably still loves me! I don't understand how a weak girl like you can get a strong teen like him to stick around you like this. It's unacceptable!'

'Five,' Sinon muttered as she held up her hand, surprising Asuna as the sniper shrugged her hand off her shoulder. 'You're also a jealous, lovesick bitch who can't get over a relationship that you yourself ended. Seriously,' Sinon looked up and laughed at Asuna, making her tremble with rage. 'It's actually quite sad to see that.' Walking past Asuna, Sinon pattered the furious girl on the shoulder as she walked towards the exit. Hearing the door close, Asuna growled in frustration as she stomped her foot down.

'What is with that girl?' Asuna said angrily. 'I just can't handle her and her attitude!'

'Well, Asuna,' Argo replied as she yawned, sinking back into the chair. 'Her attitude just then was similar to how yours was back in SAO.'

'Yeah, but that was different! We were fighting for our lives back then, but we aren't here- '

'We're fighting for our lives here as well,' Argo interrupted Asuna, making the girl flinch. 'Besides, Sinonon has a dark past of her own that could be compared to Kii-bous.'

 _She has a past that is equally as dark as Kirito's?_ Asuna shook her head. 'Hmph! I refuse to believe you, Argo!' Walking towards the bedroom, Asuna frowned as she walked, but shook her head again. _No, I won't back down now. I'm doing this for Kirito's sake!'_

Argo sighed as Asuna slammed the door behind her. 'Kii-bou, why didn't you stop them?'

'I don't know,' Kirito said as he opened his eyes, a frown on his face. 'I suppose I was curious?'

Argo smirked at this before pointing at the door. 'Anyway, aren't you keeping someone waiting for you, Kii-bou?'

'Yeah, I know.' Getting up from the chair with a groan, Kirito stifled a yawn as he walked towards the exit, his long hair shining in the light.

'Kii-bou.' Looking around, Kirito looked at Argo's chair before responding.

'What is it, Argo?'

'Those words hurt Sinon more than ya may have realized,' Argo said aloud, a sad smile forming on her face. 'I'd go check on her quickly.'

'Yeah, I know.' Walking through the door, Kirito closed it behind him before sighing. 'Sinon, just wait for me,' he murmured.

 _5 minutes later…_

'I shouldn't have left Kirito by himself,' Sinon sniffled as she stopped walking, her clothes soaked from head to toe. She wore a white shirt with the same military jacket she wore a couple of days ago, the sleeves reaching just up past her elbows. Her black hi-tops with green highlights were soaked, the green miniskirt clinging to her wet thighs as the rain continued to fall down her pale skin. Standing in the middle of the pathway, the storm raged on, lighting flashing through the sky with deafening thunder booms following afterwards. 'I'm not weak,' Sinon muttered as she looked down at the ground at her feet, her wet hair covering her face. A freezing gust of wind attacked Sinon, her green miniskirt beginning to rise, revealing her underwear. Grabbing the hems of her skirt, she held it down by her legs, shivering violently as her lips went numb.

'Sinon.' Turning around, she saw Kirito standing in front of her, his clothes soaked from the rain. 'Come on, let's go home.' As Kirito walked forwards, Sinon looked down at her feet again.

'Kirito.' The teen stopped in front of Sinon, the girl shaking slightly from either the cold breeze, wet clothes or both. 'Am I weak?'

'No,' Kirito shook his head, smiling. 'Sinon, you are not weak. You are _strong._ '

'How?' Sinon looked up at Kirito, tears beginning to fall from the corners of her eyes. 'I'm nowhere near as strong as you.'

'Sinon,' Kirito wrapped her in his arms, spreading the remaining warmth he had in his body to hers, ignoring the freezing cold gusts of wind and rain. 'Strength isn't always determined by physical power. Willpower, courage, friendship… There are many ways to be strong, Sinon.'

'I don't understand,' the girl cried, her voice muffled from Kirito's jacket as she buried her face into his shoulder. 'I don't understand how you are so strong, Kirito!'

'Trust me,' Kirito said as he looked over Sinon's shoulder. 'I'm anything but strong.' Confused, Sinon looked up at Kirito, only for a searing pain to flare up in her leg.

'W-What?' She murmured as she heard Kirito yell before her world went dark.

'SINON!'

 **So, whatcha gonna do about that cliffhanger? Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too boring if ya, but I'm satisfied with it. Also, watch out for a new story coming out soon! It'll be a continuation of TheSilentSwordmans Don't Fear the Dark which I'm pretty stoked about to continue. Anyway, hope ya enjoyed, and I'll see you all later!**

 **-Striderm8**

 **P:S - For some reason, I couldn't upload the file directly, so I had to copy-n-paste it in, so if there's any errors that I missed, make sure to PM me about it or leave a review. Anyway, have a good day.**

 **Seeya, for reals this time**

 **-Striderm8**


	15. Fak

**Alright, quick update for everything. I've lost my USB which had everything on it. Pretty smart, isn't it? Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's at my school, but I'll have to ask the teacher first. If I've lost it, well, expect the updates on the story to be pretty slow. I won't stop writing, but I'm at a huge disadvantage now. It held all my future story plots, some other stories I was working on, and an original story I was working on. Overall, I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed at myself for losing it, and disappointed at myself for not creating a back-up on my laptop, but oh well. Life's not meant to be easy, and if it is, you're doing it wrong, or maybe you're just plain lucky and should share your success to me. Anyway, there's the update, and sorry for being an idiot. Have a good day!**

 **-Striderm8**


	16. Chapter 16

**The Swordsman and The Sniper - The Ribbons of Fate**

 **So, if you all read the chapter labeled FAK, you would know that I lost all my future planning for all my stories. However, little did you know that whilst I aim to be a lazy genius, I also quite like challenges. When I lost all my data, my initial thought was, '** _ **Oh shit, I can't finish this time.'**_ **Well, guess what? Watch me. I'm quite a fast worker when I feel like it, and this chapter will be out on a Sunday, July 30, 2017, my time to say at the least. If not, well, I'll make the next chapter a minimum of 5,000 words and a maximum of 10,000 words. Anyway, enough of this rambling, time for me to move on.**

 **Ranger McAleer – Thanks for that review buddy. I didn't see it when you posted it, but when I did, well… Let's just say that I got some motivation out of it.**

 **Now, to write the actual story. Where were we… That's right! THE CLIFFHANGER! Alright, let's hop right back in!**

* * *

 _ALO_

Leafa sat in silence in ALO as she trembled. Liz, Silica, Klein and Agil had just left the log cabin they were staying in, all troubled with their own emotions.

'I'm sorry, onii-chan,' Leafa whispered to herself. 'They found out.' Swiping open her menu, the troubled girl clicked on messages then clicked on Kirito's name. Hesitating, Leafa stared at the keyboard then shook her head. 'No, you deserve to know what happened.'

'Kirito,' Silica murmured to herself as she walked further into the forest, some rays of light daring to enter among the tall, dark-green trees.

'Not again,' Klein fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, tears threatening to escape his eyes. 'He can't go through that again!' Agil walked towards Klein and patted the samurai on the back before looking out at the lake.

'What a terrible world we live in,' the merchant muttered underneath his breath.

'Kirito,' Liz whispered as she slowly dragged her feet forwards, walking through a dark forest.

'Papa,' Yui murmured to herself as she sat on the railing outside the log cabin, staring at the sky as a tear rolled down her face. 'Please come home safely with Mama.'

Kikuoka sat in silence at his desk, hands interlocked as he stared at the lake in front of him, the sunlight ignorant of the current situation as it smiled down at him. 'Kazuto, how did you manage this?' Sighing, the man stood up and opened his menu. Tapping on the _Log Out_ button, he sighed. Kikuoka's work had just begun.

* * *

 _GGO_

SBC Glocken was silent. Well, for Kirito at least, his heartbeat drumming loudly in his head. Heavy rain came down darting towards the earth in a frenzy, the pitch-black storm clouds lingering over Glocken with smirks on their face as they delivered their daily vengeance. The buzzing from the nearby neon lights lit the area, making neon rain surround the teen cradling the wounded girl. Gunpowder's scent was heavy in the air as Kirito rose, Sinon in his arms. Without hesitation, the teen clad in black sprinted back the way he came from, his form just a blur of black as he ran faster than ever.

'Mission failed,' player said as he looked through the crosshairs of a Barret M82. Holed up in a skyscraper 1,500 meters away from where he shot the girl, a man with black combat fatigues and blue, tinted glasses raised his head from the scope, a frown plastered on his face. 'Just who is that kid?'

'Damn it,' Kirito growled to himself as he looked down at Sinon, a K.O symbol indicated underneath her slowly decreasing health bar. Raising his head, the frustrated teen sprinted forwards, pushing his screaming muscles to their absolute limit as he quickly made his way back to Argo's home. The rain poured down even harder as lightning flashed, illuminating the path. Kirito's hair was plastered to his forehead, his soaked clothes clinging to his body as he gasped for air. As he turned the corner, the teen looked down at Sinon' health bar.

 _It's in the yellow? DAMN IT!_ Kirito screamed at himself internally as he saw Argo's door in sight. Pushing himself even harder than before, the teen reached the door and kicked it open before running in. Leaving puddles in his wake, Kirito ignored the white wallpaper and headed straight for the door in front of him. Going to push it open, Kirito found it locked and growled. Only one word came out of the teen's mouth.

'Fuck.'

Setting the girl down in front of him, Kirito's eyes narrowed as he saw the hole in her leg bleeding more red pixels. Opening his menu, the teen went into his inventory and scrolled through it desperately, trying to find anything that could slow down the wound that could potentially kill Sinon.

 _Come on, come on,_ he whispered to himself internally. Reaching the bottom of the list, an item caught his eye. _Painkillers._ Without hesitation, Kirito brought the item out of his menu as it materialized in his hand. A tiny bottle with a couple of pills appeared on his hand before the lid was violently torn off.

'Ki-ri-to,' Sinon mumbled as her face contorted in pain.

'Hang in there, Sinon,' Kirito mumbled as he shook the bottle, three white pills falling onto his wet hand. Leaning forwards, he propped the girl up into a sitting position before opening her mouth partially. Carefully, Kirito let the pills roll down into her mouth before it fell down her throat. Looking at her health bar, he saw Sinon's health stop falling as the painkillers acted. 'Thank god,' Kirito murmured as he cradled the girl, running his hand gently through her hair. 'Thank god you're okay.'

'Kii-bou?' Looking up, the teen saw a surprised looking Argo staring at him. Argo's face went through a train-wreck's worth of emotions before a smirk planted itself firmly. 'My, I didn't know ya were one to get frisky with a girl on another's property, Kii-bou.'

'Argo,' Kirito looked back down at Sinon, the girl now peacefully asleep. 'Do you have a med-kit on you?'

'I've got one in the bathroom,' Argo frowned. 'Why do ya wanna know?' Watching Kirito's eyes look towards Sinon, the info-broker followed the path until she saw the gaping red hole in the unconscious sniper's leg, just above her knee. 'Oh god,' she gasped, terror washing over her face. 'I'll be right back.' Kirito sighed as he recalled the recent events, ignoring Argo's shouts of frustration as she ran into something, a large _thud_ heard throughout the apartment.

As Kirito watched Sinon look up at him, confusion written over her face, the teen saw a flash of light to his left in a skyscraper. Eyes widening, Kirito heard a sniper going off as he made eye contact with a confused girl. With barely any time to react, the teen tried to dart backwards, but ended up dragging the girl into the line of fire.

'Kii-bou, hold Sinon tight for me.' Snapping out of his thoughts, Kirito watched Argo kneel and inspect Sinon's wound.

'Tsk!' Opened the med-kit, the info-broker brought out bandages and more painkillers. 'Here,' Argo said as she handed Kirito the painkillers without even looking in his direction. Focusing on the injury, Argo felt a drop of sweat run down her face as she began bandaging Sinon's leg. 'Sinonon, please be alright,' she murmured underneath her breath as Kirito shivered, his wet clothes now cold.

'I'm sorry, Sinon,' Kirito whispered as he moved his head closer to the unconscious girl. 'I swear, I'll do anything to make it up to you. I promise.'

'Done,' Argo announced before she sighed with relief. 'So, Kii-bou. You gonna explain or what?'

'Argo,' Kirito said quietly, still looking down at Sinon. 'I need information on any professional assassins or snipers in SBC Glocken as soon as possible.'

Argo frowned as the gears inside her head slowly turned. 'I see.' Standing up, the broker walked towards the door. 'Give me two days.' Closing the door behind her quietly, Kirito sighed with relief as he looked at the bandage covering Sinon's injury.

'Time to get you home.' Carefully, the teen picked the sniper, his arms supporting her back and legs. Rising, Kirito walked towards the still open door and exited the apartment. Turning around, he shut the door and stepped back out into rain, his cold clothes now wet and freezing cold.

Walking forwards, the teen headed back towards the hotel they were staying at, ignoring the cold rain and wind howling at him to come back.

* * *

 _Hours later..._

Sinon woke with a groan as she opened her eyes, a white ceiling greeting her. Sitting up slowly, the girl felt her leg flare up in pain as she moved. Carefully lifting the black bedsheets up, Sinon saw bandages covering her right leg just above her knee.

'You're up?' Looking around, Sinon spotted Kirito in the kitchen stirring something in a large pot on the stove.

'Y-Yeah,' she replied. Trying to move her legs, a violent shiver ran down her spine and Sinon froze.

'You caught a cold earlier,' Kirito replied, guilt present in his voice. 'Sorry I couldn't get you out of the rain earlier. Oh, and try not to move either. Your leg hasn't fully healed yet.'

'So that's why it's covered.' Sighing, Sinon lay back down in the bed and dragged the blanket so it covered everything but her face. 'Wait a second…' Lifting the sheets, the girl realized she was only in her black underwear. 'Kirito,' she said aloud, a sweet smile on her face. 'You didn't _do_ anything while I was unconscious, did you?'

'W-What?' Turning around, Kirito saw Sinon sitting up in the bed, her back leaning against the wall as she held a blanket up, covering herself torso down. Realizing what she was talking about, the teen blushed furiously and turned back to the pot. 'I-I swear I didn't do anything!' Kirito stuttered as he fumbled with the spoon he was using. 'Your clothes were soaking wet, and your cold would've gotten worse if you stayed in them.'

'If you say so.' Sighing, Sinon placed her hand on her burning forehead. 'It's still embarrassing though, knowing that you've seen me only in my underwear.'

'Sorry about that,' Kirito replied as he turned the stove off. Reaching into one of the cupboards, the teen pulled out a white bowl and placed it on the counter before filling it up with soup. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a spoon before walking out of the kitchen. 'Here, eat this,' Kirito said as he sat down in the chair next to Sinon's bed. Handing her the bowl, the girl looked at food and her mouth watered.

'Kirito, what is this?' Sinon asked, the delicious looking food tantalizing her.

'Chicken soup,' he replied, opening his menu as a notification appeared. 'Eat up.' Scrolling to his messages, Kirito's eyes narrowed as he saw another message from Sugu.

 _Kirito,_

 _Klein, Liz, Silica, Agil… They all know that you're stuck in GGO. I tried my best to avoid the subject, but it came up today and I couldn't escape it this time. They haven't tried anything stupid yet, but I'll tell you if something major happens._

 _Leafa_

'Kirito?' Looking over at Sinon, he realized he must've worried her somehow. 'Are you alright?'

'Yeah,' he shook his head. 'You don't need to worry about it.'

'Kirito.' The tone in his Sinon's voice surprised him, and he re-focused on the girl in front of him. 'Please, don't say things like that. I know you're frustrated, so you don't need to lie to me.'

'Sinon,' Kirito placed his hand on hers, making the girl blush. 'Trust me on this one, okay? I'm fine.'

'If you say so.' Sighing, the girl took the spoon and had some of the soup. 'Mmm, this is really good.' Turning to Kirito, she gave him a smile that reminded him of Asuna back in SAO. 'Thanks for making me this!'

'No problem.' Standing up, Kirito grabbed the black coat hanging on the divider and pulled it on in one fluid motion. 'I've gotta go out for a bit, so sit tight, okay?'

'It's not like I can move or anything anyway,' Sinon replied with a smile. 'Don't be out too long.'

'I won't be.' As Kirito walked away and exited the apartment, Sinon touched her hand, her face getting redder. Why did her heart begin thumping against her chest so hard when he placed his hand on hers? As of now, Sinon didn't understand her feelings towards Kirito, but she did know one thing. Kirito was the only person she could trust in this cruel, dark world.

* * *

 **Okay, end of chapter! So, it may not be action packed, but I still want to try and stick to my upload schedule whenever I can. So, in this chapter, I've introduced a new character who is trying to kill Kirito, and all of Kirito's friends have found out where he is. Also, I've managed to get a new plan of future events, and I'll most likely be taking things slow from here on out. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't forgot to leave a review and to follow/favorite the story and me if you haven't already. Seeya!**

 **-Striderm8**


	17. The Beginning of Something New?

**The Swordsman and The Sniper - The Ribbons of Fate**

* * *

 _Warning – A game update is scheduled in ten minutes. All players are asked to return to their accommodation or to a safe zone. If you are trapped in the field or doing a quest, you will be teleported into a waiting room until the update is complete. Thank you for your cooperation._

Kirito ignored the warning as he exited a dark alley, storm clouds still present above the sprawling metropolis. Rain pelted towards the ground as neon lights buzzed angrily, the wind slowly picking up in intensity as the teenager found himself on a familiar pathway. Stores and residential homes lined the concrete path he followed, flickering lights wavering in the harsh storm. Shivering slightly, Kirito buttoned up the slightly wet coat before moving even faster, leaving a trail of footprints in the water behind. Reaching the spawn tower, the teen turned the corner and sighed in relief as he was greeted with empty space. Walking into the tiny space, he looked around and spotted a corner that was completely devoid of light.

'I might as well stay here for a while,' Kirito sighed as he headed towards the void. Leaning against the wall, the teen was shrouded in darkness as he stifled a yawn. Shivering, Kirito opened his menu and unequipped his coat before replacing it with a black hoodie, the insides lined with a comfortable fur. Pulling the hood over his head, he sighed again as his stomach growled, displeased at the lack of food. Closing his eyes, Kirito waited silently, the rain being the only music being played with thunder occasionally chiming in.

 _Five Minutes remaining until update begins. All players, please enter a safe zone or personal accommodation._

Kirito shivered slightly as a cold breeze somehow passed his hoodie. Drumming his fingers against the wall behind him, the teen continued waiting, hoping his worst fear wouldn't come true. Time passed and Kirito sighed. Pushing himself off the wall, he slowly walked away from the spawn area, leaving the covered area. Feeling the rain intensify, Kirito began moving faster as the water began to soak his clothes.

 _One minute remaining. All players, please enter a safe zone, otherwise you'll be forcefully teleported to a waiting room._

As the teen left, a blue light came into existence. As the particles began to take form, the sound effect of a player spawning in played.

* * *

Sinon sighed as she finished the bowl of soup. Kirito was apparently very good at cooking food. Setting the bowl down on the chair, the girl stretched her arms above her head, moaning slightly as she felt her bones crack. Looking to her left, Sinon watched rain hammer itself against the glass windows as it tried desperately to enter the room.

'I'm back.' Facing the source of noise, Sinon watched Kirito enter the room. As the teen pulled the hoodie off, he kicked the door shut before walking towards her bed. 'How are you feeling?'

'Better,' Sinon replied. Moving her leg, the girl winced as pain flared up. 'Though, I still can't move it properly.'

'At least you're feeling better.' Kirito draped his hoodie over the divider before turning around and taking the bowl to the kitchen. After placing it in the sink, he quickly washed it up as another system announcement played.

 _Update in progress. Do not leave the area you are currently in. Estimated time remaining… Four hours 35 Minutes 21 Seconds_

'The update's going to take that long, huh?' Sinon sighed as she stopped stressing the details. A system update was happening, and it's not like she could move if she wanted to. Reaching up to her head, the girl removed the metal clips holding her hair. Feeling her hair fall, Sinon felt her throat become extremely itchy. Raising her hand to her mouth, the girl coughed as Kirito sat down beside her, a cup in his hand.

'You want some medicine?' Kirito opened his menu and materialized a packet of tablets. 'I went and got some after bringing you back.'

'How nice of you.' Taking the packet, Sinon gingerly popped one out and examined the tablet. A small, white cylinder that was somewhat smooth to touch. 'Do you have water or anything I can take this with?'

'Here.' Kirito passed over the cup of water he held to the girl and sighed. 'So, we'll be stuck here for over four hours.' Groaning, Kirito looked up at the ceiling as he leaned back while Sinon took the medicine. 'How boring.'

'Are you saying that I'm a boring person, Kirito?' The teen realized his mistake and gulped.

'Well, sometimes.'

'KIRITO!' Chuckling, Kirito gave Sinon a sincere smile, making the girl's cheeks turn into a tomato.

'I was joking.' The teen turned his head around and lost the smile as he looked out the window. Squares of pixels were glitched outside the window as the update took place. _What could he be possibly updating in this game?_ Kirito thought to himself before shaking his head. _Oh well. Hopefully something that it'll make it easier to live in this game._

* * *

 _3 hours later…_

Kirito woke from his sleep and stifled a yawn. Rolling onto his back, he sighed as he recalled the past two hours. Sinon had challenged him to a game of chess and utterly destroyed him. No… Destroyed wasn't a good enough word… Eradicated him and his confidence. Kirito lost a whopping thirteen times in a row before conceding. The teen sucked at chess and decided to go to sleep after, gaining a playful pout from the girl, even though she was tired as well. Smiling at the recent memories, Kirito slowly got out of bed and checked on Sinon. Looking over the divider, he smiled as the girl faced the divider, her thumb grazing her bottom lip. Pulling himself away from the cute, sleeping girl, Kirito walked towards the kitchen, his bare feet making no noise at all. Reaching the fridge, the teen tapped on the door, expecting a menu to pop up. Instead, nothing happened. Frowning, Kirito opened the door and looked inside. All the food items he had stored inside were stacked neatly on shelves.

'Is this from the update?' Sighing, Kirito closed the door and walked towards the kettle. 'Well, I suppose it makes the game feel a lot more like real life.'

' _I'm not murderer!'_

A shrill scream violated the silence of the night as Kirito whipped around. Moving as fast as possible, he reached the source of unnatural noise and looked at the girl sitting up. Sinon's widened eyes were bloodshot as her head moved side to side. Kirito wasted no time in acting. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he wrapped his arms around the girl and gently rubbed her back, soothing her.

'Sinon,' he said to the girl. 'Everything's fine.' For the next couple of minutes, Kirito kept caring for Sinon, murmuring comforting words and rubbing her back. Feeling her breathing slowly fade into a regular pattern, the teen released his hold and watched the girl regain control.

'T-Thanks,' Sinon murmured as she brought the bedsheet up to her chest. Clutching the black sheets, the girl looked down at the bed. 'Listen, I-.'

'Do you want to talk about it?' Sinon gasped, her voice barely audible as she looked up into Kirito's eyes. 'I mean,' the teen rubbed his neck before looking away. 'It's not good to bottle up all your bad memories. It'll just make it worse.' He spoke as if he had experience.

'I-I can't.' Sinon looked away as Kirito's gaze made its way back to her. 'I'm just not ready yet. I hope you understand.'

'Of course,' Kirito replied. 'Take all the time you need to tell me. I'll be waiting.'

'Thanks.' The two teenagers sat in silence; one looking away, embarrassed at her panic attack, and the other watching the girl avert his gaze.

 _..._

…

…

'So,' Kirito and Sinon spoke in unison as the two looked directly into each other's eyes. Without breaking eye contact, the two teenager's let out a hint of a laugh before losing it.

'You go first!'

'No, you!'

'Ladies first.'

'Ahh, fine!' Bringing her free hand to her mouth, Sinon cleared her throat. 'Well, I hope this doesn't sound selfish, but…' The blush on her face slowly became evident as she faced her head away, not allowing Kirito to see. 'W-Would you stay with me tonight?'

'Tonight?' Looking over his shoulder, the teen saw that SBC Glocken was bathed in moonlight, the cities' neon lights turned off as the update reached its final stage. 'Do you mean,' Kirito's face slowly turned red as he turned to the girl, the back of her head facing him. 'You want me to,' he gulped nervously. 'Sleep with you tonight?'

'…'

'Sinon, do you want me to-.'

The girl turned around and grabbed Kirito's hand.

'Wha-?'

'Idiot.' Her bright red blush still present, Sinon looked up at Kirito, his face also as red as a tomato. 'Just get it through your thick skull already.' Moving to the other side of the bed, the girl made room for Kirito and patted beside her. 'Here.'

'A-Are you sure?'

'Just get in already!'

'I-If you say so.' Scooting into bed, Kirito turned his back to Sinon, his face burning up even more. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight.' Sinon smiled as she looked at his back. Listening to his breathing becoming steady, the girl wrapped her arms around the teen and got as comfortable as possible before closing her eyes.

Kirito gulped nervously as he felt the girl get closer to him. Ignoring the throbbing in his chest as Sinon's arms relaxed around his torso, he sighed internally before his lips converted into a small smile.

' _I'll let her be like this for tonight,'_ Kirito thought as he shuffled in the bed, getting as comfortable as possible without waking the girl behind him. As the throbbing in his chest began to die down, the teen recognized the feeling and sighed. Closing his eyes, Kirito remembered his promise to Sinon.

' _I promise I'll protect you.'_

* * *

 **Apologies for the short chapter. I could continue, but I'm trying my best to finish off chapters, check them and write up new ones. It's getting kinda stressful, not to mention all the anime I have to finish off with the school assessments lining up. To top it all off, still trying to get some game time in with friends and hang out with people. Honestly, I'm just running out of time to write. However, holidays for me are 2-3 weeks away, so I should be able to focus more on writing then. I've been raising my quality for writing recently, so chapter's being released will take longer.**

 **Example:**

' _Dummy. I would neve-.' She stopped midsentence as a bloodcurdling scream replaced her words. Her body racked up in pain as her throat became extremely sore._

' _Y-You dummy. I would ne-e-e…' Her mocking transformed into a bloodcurdling scream, sending chills down his back. Pain racked her body as the unnatural sound ripped at her voice box._

 **To me, the second one is much better compared to the first. I've been trying to get most of my writing up to the second ones standards, but it's kinda hard, especially with all the above happening. Anyway, sorry about the rambling and the short chapter. This hasn't even hit 2,000, even with author notes! I'll try to make a longer chapter next time. Anyway, once again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Follow/Favorite the story and me as an author. It'll be very much appreciated! Also, check out my other stories if you're waiting for another chapter for this! It'll keep you occupied.**

 **-Striderm8**


	18. The Confession - Part 1

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

 **And we're back baby! WOOH! Anyway, here's your chapter.**

* * *

 _One Week After Game Update..._

Kirito glanced at his surroundings as the desert winds lashed sand at anything and everything. Harsh sunlight glared at the earth, making the silky sand almost impossible to touch. The teen was sweating profusely, his clothes drenched as he felt the heat through the sole of his boots. Kirito, for some ungodly reason, was wearing all black in a desert. Black boots, black combat pants, black shirt, black coat and black gloves, the teenager was practically a heat magnet! Sinon sighed as she watched her friend through her scope, her aim steady. She wasn't coping with the heat well either. The girl had decided to wear black combat shorts that reached around her mid-thigh, a black tank-top and her usual military jacket.

'Kirito,' Sinon tapped the earpiece as she talked to the teen. 'Are you sure that you don't want to go back yet?'

'I'm sure.' The teen's voice came back through her earpiece. Sinon sighed as she raised her head from her position. When they came out to the desert, the girl had managed to secure a position behind an exploded jeep, the shadows it created making the sand cool. Even more fortunate for her, the jeep was on a hill overlooking a popular mob hunting ground. Pushing her bangs out of her face, the teen looked through her scope again.

'Come on,' Kirito muttered. 'Just one mob.' Closing his eyes, he focused on his surroundings, trying to sense any nearby enemies. Getting nothing, he sighed before walking back to Sinon. As he trudged up the sand dune in defeat, the teen noticed that Sinon was taking apart her sniper. The girl felt his gaze and looked up at the boy, his eyebrow raised.

'The update changed a lot of things,' the girl said as she opened her menu and stored the stock. 'If I store my Hecate without taking it apart, it'll weigh more, but if I take it apart,' she motioned towards the countless pieces laying in front of her. 'It won't weigh as much.'

'That, doesn't make sense,' Kirito frowned.

'Maybe it's a way to get players more involved in the game?'

'Possibly.'

Kirito sighed as Sinon finished storing her weapon. 'Come on, let's go. I need a shower.'

'That's your own fault for wearing all black!'

* * *

SBC Glocken was eerily quiet as Kirito and Sinon made their way towards the shopping district. The two teens stood in silence as they walked up one of the multiple pathways that crisscrossed each other towards an area with a fountain in the center, gray pavement creating a large circle around the fountain with intricate designs engraved into it. Lights stood proudly around the circle, their bulbs inactive in the harsh sunlight.

'Where do you think everyone is?' Kirito glanced around at his colorful surroundings. Countless shops were opened; some NPC and some player stores. Each store had their own color scheme and logo with a sign of sorts, their goods displayed behind glass. However, despite all of the goods, barely any players were around, only low-level players who refused to fight in sight.

'I'm not sure,' Sinon replied as she equipped her scarf and pulled it up, covering her mouth. 'Besides, at least there won't be people to distract us.'

'True.' Kirito sighed as they reached the fountain area before looking around. Clothe shops were all he could see apart from some cafes.

'Over there.' The teen glanced at Sinon and followed her gaze towards a set of electronic doors. Walking towards them, Kirito entered the Shopping Centre with the girl and looked around. Even more shops were presented to them, but more shops dedicated to survival were present.

'Are you fine to be by yourself?' Kirito asked Sinon as he watched her look around.

'I should be fine.' The boy frowned as the girl walked away. He could clearly see the limp in her steps, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it. Sighing at her stubbornness to accept help, Kirito walked up to her and matched her pace. Said girl raised her eyebrow at the boy, but all he did was smile.

'So, where are we going?'

'Gun store,' Sinon said as she made a beeline towards a store with a sign that read _'Lightning Flux.'_ As the two entered the store, a man who looked like he was in his sixties turned around and smiled.

'Welcome to my store,' he said, voice as smooth as velvet. 'How may I assist you today?' Kirito quickly sized up the storeowner; gray pants, a white, long-sleeved shirt with a gray vest, simple shoes and neatly combed hair.

'Are you the store owner?' Sinon asked. The man nodded as he glanced at his wares behind him. The store was a small rectangular room; shelves in the far-left corner held ammunition, armor, grenades, etc. and an electronic table in the center of the room which held information on what guns were purchasable. A counter lay in the far-right corner with a doorway which led to which was most likely a back room used for storage. 'Right, I was wondering if you check my Hecate to see if there's anything wrong with it.'

'Of course,' the man replied. As he turned around and walked towards the counter, the two teenagers followed him. 'Have a seat.' Kirito and Sinon sat at the two stools as the man did the same on the opposite side of the glass countertop. Looking at Sinon, he motioned. 'If I may?' She nodded before opening her menu and bringing out the multiple pieces of PGM Hecate II.

'Excuse me,' Kirito spoke up as the storeowner picked up the stock of Hecate and examined it. 'If it isn't rude of me to ask, what's your name?'

'My mistake.' The man placed the stock down on the counter and gave the two teens a warm, fatherly smile. 'My name is Izumo. And you are?'

'I'm Sinon,' the girl replied with a smile before pointing at the teen next to her. 'And that's Kirito.'

'It's very nice to meet you, Sinon and Kirito,' Izumo said as he examined the other weapon pieces. After a few seconds of silence, the man put the sniper back together before handing it over to the Sinon. 'Your gun is in perfect order,' he declared. 'No problems at all.'

'That's a relief,' Sinon sighed as she stored her beloved Hecate in her inventory.

'What about you, young man?' Izumo asked Kirito, snapping him out of his daze.

'Hang on a sec.' Pulling out the Kagemitsu G4 Photo Sword, he handed it over to Izumo. 'Do you think you can do anything with this?'

'Hmm.' The storeowner took the handle for the blade and turned it over in his palms as he inspected the weapon. 'The weapon is still in mint condition,' he said. 'And I do believe that I can upgrade it to a certain extent.'

'What type of upgrades could you add?'

'Well,' the man frowned. 'I could make the laser that comes out thinner which would make it, essentially, more powerful as its more focused. The blade would become longer and the laser thinner, but I doubt you want that. However, I can also make the laser thicker and more powerful, but the laser length would be reduced drastically, possibly to the length of a dagger.'

'What about if you changed it completely?' Kirito asked, gaining the old man's attention. 'Could you change the sword into an entirely different weapon?'

'Now that you mention it...' Izumo glanced at the handle in his palm. 'I could probably change the laser into a whip, or possibly into a staff with lasers protruding at both ends...' A spark of light flashed in the old man's sky-blue eyes as he handed the lightsaber back to Kirito. 'Boy, you have given me a few ideas,' he said, smiling as Kirito clipped the blade to his belt.

'If one of your ideas succeed,' Kirito brought up his menu and showed his player name to Izumo. 'Contact me. I'd be more than happy to test them out for you.'

'I'll take you up on that offer.' Standing up from his seat, he did a little bow before clearing his throat. 'Now, is that all for today?'

'Yes,' Sinon said, also standing up alongside Kirito. 'How much do we owe you?'

'No charge.' Upon seeing Sinon and Kirito's stunned faces, the elder man chuckled. 'Your boyfriend here has given me some things to think over, so I'll let this examination be for free.'

'B-Boyfriend?'Kirito glanced at Sinon, only to notice that she wasn't there anymore. The girl was waiting outside the shop, face beet red as she refused to in his direction. 'Umm, I think you're misunderstanding something here, Izumo.'

'Maybe I am,' the man chuckled. 'Anyway, get out of here. You shouldn't keep a young lady waiting who likes you waiting.'

'R-Right.' Leaving the store, Kirito raised his hand as he waved goodbye. Then it struck him. _Wait,_ he thought to himself as he followed Sinon back towards the exit. _Sinon likes me? How did he even get that impression from her?_ Looking at the back of the girl's head, he sighed internally. _Either way, I'm curious now. I might ask her later..._

'Kirito, are you alright?' Sinon's worried voice drew him out of his thoughts as he looked up at the girl. Her cute face was in a state of worry, something that made his heart hurt.

'I'm fine,' he replied. Sinon nodded her head at this, as if reassuring herself. The two walked in silence as they reached the fountain, leaving the inside of Shopping Centre behind them. 'Wait a second...' Kirito murmured to himself.

'What's wrong?'

'How'd he know I was a guy the whole time?'

'Beats me.'

* * *

 _Two Hours Later..._

'Why'd I agree to this?' Kirito slumped in his chair and groaned as he watched Sinon order drinks from the NPC. After the gunsmith, she had dragged him around on a shopping spree. The poor boy was taken into countless shops where Sinon would spend time buying new casual clothes and combat gear. Sure, he got some clothes and gear of his own, but the girl's bags vastly outnumbered his own. Kirito, for some reason, wasn't able to store the clothes in his inventory, and Sinon couldn't either, so he was _persuaded_ to carry the bags. However, the teen had his own suspicions that the sniper's strength stat was as high as his, if not higher.

'Why do you look so down for?' Sinon asked as she took her seat opposite Kirito, looking at the frowning boy.

'Nothing,' he sighed in response before sitting up. Looking at the café, it reminded him of Agil's Dicey Café. The cozy shop had four tables with a counter and countless stools. Several shelves filled with an assortment of glass bottles were behind the counter, some alcohol and others exotic drinks. A jukebox was present against a wall near a large TV that hung on the wall and showed news from NPCs and players alike. The colorful café also had a mini library and computers which could be used to access multiple features.

'Anyway, what are you doing after this?'

'I don't really know,' Kirito replied. 'I was thinking of exploring the web available to see if anyone has found out what the game updates are. After all,' the teen looked out at the fountain at a couple sitting next to each other, their hands interlocked. 'We don't know if it helps us players or makes it harder to survive. For all I know, the update could've made the game impossible to beat.'

'Impossible to beat?' Sinon frowned as she looked down at her hands. Why would someone make a game impossible to beat, especially when the people had no hope left?

'Anyway, Sinon.' Kirito's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

'What is it?' The girl asked.

'Well,' the boy shuffled nervously in his seat. Taking a deep breath in, Kirito steeled his nerves and looked Sinon in the eyes. 'I'll get straight to the point. Do you like me?'

'Wha?' The powder-blue haired girl froze in her seat, mouth wide open in surprise. Kirito's obsidian eyes never wavered from her piercing blue eyes as the girl felt her face quickly turn red. She was caught off guard. 'I-I mean...' Sinon looked down at the ground beside her, her heart pummeling against her chest.

 _What do I say? What do I day?_

'I, uh...' Sinon fidgeted with her hands in her lap as she internally pulled at her hairs and screamed.

 _WHAT THE HELL DO I SAY?_ Her brain screamed at her.

 _I DON'T KNOW! JUST SAY SOMETHING!_ Sinon shrieked back. _ANYTHING! JUST SAY SOMETHING!_

Standing up abruptly, she slammed her hands down on the table, shattering the other teen's gaze. 'Kirito, I do li-.'

'Excuse me, but I was wondering if you two ladies could help show me around.'

Both teenagers looked over at the newcomer, completely forgetting what they were just talking about. Kirito's eyes widened as he saw somebody he never thought he would ever see again. Spikey reddish-brownish hair with a red bandana holding it up, one of the people Kirito fully trusted and relied on stood in front of him.

'Klein?'

* * *

 **Wa Bam! This only took me 12 hours to write. God I suck at this. Anyway, leave a constructive review.**

 **-Striderm8**


	19. Ribbons of Fate

**The Swordsman and The Sniper: The Ribbons of Fate**

* * *

 _WHAT THE HELL DO I SAY? Her brain screamed at her._

 _I DON'T KNOW! JUST SAY SOMETHING! Sinon shrieked back. ANYTHING! JUST SAY SOMETHING!_

 _Standing up abruptly, she slammed her hands down on the table, shattering the other teen's gaze. 'Kirito, I do li-.'_

 _'Excuse me, but I was wondering if you two ladies could help show me around.'_

 _Both teenagers looked over at the newcomer, completely forgetting what they were just talking about. Kirito's eyes widened as he saw somebody he never thought he would ever see again. Spikey reddish-brownish hair with a red bandana holding it up, one of the people Kirito fully trusted and relied on stood in front of him._

 _'Klein?'_

* * *

Kirito sat there shocked, his mouth slightly open while Sinon openly glared at the man, making him feel nervous.

'Umm, don't worry about it,' he muttered as he adjusted the collar of his newbie coat. 'I'll go ask somebody else.'

'Hold it right there.' Kirito quickly rose from his seat and tapped Klein on the shoulder. As the gamer turned around, the teen raised his hand and struck him, hard.

'What the hell was that fo-?'

 _'Klein!'_

'Shiit!' The former samurai stood up straight as he could, a cold sweat running down his body before turning around and facing the source of noise.

'How could you leave me like that? I was trying to show you around!' Kirito looked out at the person yelling at his friend and gulped as he saw who it was. Asuna came stomping towards the elder man, a face he was so used to seeing present as she tried to kill Klein with her imaginary daggers.

'The last person I wanted to see,' Kirito groaned as he sat back down in the chair. Sinon tried her best to hide it, but couldn't help but smile at the boy's remark. As Asuna chewed out Klein for leaving her, the NPC waitress came around and dropped of their drinks and cake. Thanking the lady for her time, Sinon turned her head and listened in on the conversation.

'What do you mean you didn't leave me?' Asuna shouted in his face, waving her hands around wildly. 'We fricking came up the stairs and you saw two girls and couldn't resist!' Sighing, the girl replaced her anger with a smile. 'Oh well, that's to be expected of you.' The man visibly relaxed before sighing.

'So, where's Kirito?' Klein asked, completely unaware that said person was behind him.

'How would I know?' Asuna muttered, her voice barely audible. 'He avoids me like the plague...'

An awkward silence clouded the four players as they didn't move, each going through their own thought process.

 _'This doesn't look good.'_

 _'Kirito, I miss you...'_

 _'Damnit Kirito, I came into this game for you. Why are you so damn hard to find?'_

 _'I wish I could shoot you in the damn face,_ _Asubitch_ _.'_

'Sinon, let's go.' Kirito whispered to the girl as he slowly stood up, multiple bags hanging off his arms.

'Sure,' the girl replied as she glanced at his empty cup and plate. Quickly taking a bite and gulp of her drink, Sinon got out of her seat and sneaked off with the boy clad in black, their leaving unknown to the other two players.

* * *

'So, I guess that ya little trip didn't pay off?' Argo snickered as she watched a depressed Klein slump in followed by somewhat dull Asuna.

'It didn't,' Klein groaned as he fell face first into a chair. 'However,' his head perked up instantly. 'I did see two smoking hot babes when I was asking around!'

'You mean those two girls you asked for directions even though I was with you?' The chestnut-haired girl muttered, somewhat disgusted. 'You _do_ know that you were way older than them, right?'

'Hey,' he snapped back. 'Love is love, regardless of what people say.'

'Right, right.' Argo sighed. 'Ya know, I _could_ just ask them to come visit.'

'WWWHHHAAAATT!' Klein practically screeched. 'YOU MEAN I WENT AROUND AND ASKED PEOPLE QUESTIONS FOR NO REASON?'

'Yep.' As the adult slumped into a pile of depression, Asuna just sighed.

'If you listened to me before you stormed off, you would've heard me say that.'

'Well, now that ya got that info, I may as well call Kii-bou here.' Opening her menu with a casual flick, Argo sent a message with a blur of her fingers before closing the menu. 'There. All done.'

'That was quick,' Klein muttered as he propped his chin up on a cushion.

'Of course,' Asuna said as she walked into the kitchen. 'Argo only messages Kirito unless it's important.'

* * *

Kirito hoped what Argo sent him wasn't important. The teen was currently stuck in an alleyway, Sinon holding all her bags behind him as three thugs slowly walked forwards.

'Back off now, otherwise I can't guarantee your safety,' Kirito glared at the three men.

'Can't do that bub,' one of them spoke up as he cracked his knuckles.

'After all,' another one spoke up. 'It's not every day that two smoking hot babes walk past.'

'Yeah,' the last man agreed. 'I can't wait to see what noise you make in the sheets.'

'God, they're disgusting,' Sinon muttered, revolted.

'Tell me about it,' Kirito sighed. 'Question. What level are you?'

'Level?' The male in the middle chuckled. 'Judging from you two ladies, I'd say we're both at level one or maybe two. After all, none of us have left SBC Glocken at all!'

'Really?' The teen clad in black pushed his hair out of his face as he smirked. 'This'll be easy then. Judging from your unique outfits which totally suit your build,' the teen mocked at the three men, their bulging fat threatening to destroy the starting clothes. 'I'd say that this will be fairly easy. After all,' Kirito's aura grew dark as a cold, lifeless stare pierced their eyes, fear exploding in their fragile hearts possibly made of fast-food. 'None of you have left SBC Glocken before.' Realizing their mistakes, the three men quickly scrambled backwards, only to run into a tall teenager clad in scarlet.

'Sup ladies,' Kureiji said cheerfully. 'Mind if I take you all for a walk?' A few minutes later of harsh insults mixed in with a couple of punches, Kirito and Sinon waved at Kureiji as he smiled before forcing the three stripped men to crawl forwards, towards the Police station made by the players.

'That was… interesting,' Sinon finally said as she pushed all the bags back onto Kirito who groaned.

'I can't believe creeps like that are in this game,' the teen responded as he began walking forwards again. 'Anyway, let's back to our room. I want to get all these bags put away before heading to Argos.'

'Right.' As Sinon matched his pace, she looked around at the street they were walking through. Countless market stalls were set up with never-ending players flocking in and out, food on skewers tantalizing passing players as their scent wafted in and out of the roads. 'Hey Kirito,' the sniper muttered as she fell a step back.

'Hmm? What's wrong?' Sinon sighed.

'I… never got to answer your question back at the café,' she explained.

'T-That?' Kirito quickly looked straight ahead as his face turned a healthy rosy red. 'You don't have to answer if you don't want to.'

'It's not that,' the girl muttered. 'It's just that…' Sinon took a deep breath. 'It's just that I do lik-!'

 _RING!_

'Sorry, mind if I take this?' Kirito quickly answered the call before a circle appeared beside his ear. Within seconds, Argo's voice was screeching in his ear.

'LEARN TA REPLY TO MESSAGES YA IDIOT!'

'S-Sorry,' the teen said, wincing at the loss of hearing in one ear. 'I'll be there once I drop off these bags.'

'Well, hurry up.' Sinon could tell that the info-broker was somewhat annoyed, and was somewhat grateful and annoyed at her interruption. 'I don't think I can handle another conversation with him.'

'Sure.' Hanging up, Kirito sighed. 'Sorry about that Sinon. Do you mind if you tell me later?'

'I don't mind,' the girl said with a smile, her heart racing a million miles a second. 'It was entertaining to hear you get chewed out by Argo.'

'Let's just go already.'

* * *

'I'm here, Argo.' As Kirito knocked on the door, he felt like he knew why the info-broker called him here, but regardless of his thoughts, didn't walk away as he was met with the brown cloak.

'Finally,' Argo grumbled. 'Get his hands off me, would ya?'

'It'll cost you,' the teen replied with a smile.

'Yeah yeah, I don't care.' Slipping past the rat who muttered something about getting more sleep, Sinon followed Kirito as they walked into the lounge. Seeing Asuna and Klein sitting there, the two teens mentally sighed together without realizing before being noticed.

'No way…' Klein's jaw dropped as he gazed at Kirito's slender, feminine yet male body. 'Kirito's a girl?'

'Don't you mean Kiriko?' Sinon smirked as the man kept staring at the trap in disbelief, realizing that Kirito was also the girl he was hitting on earlier.

'I'm so sorry man!' He wept before burying himself into the sofa. 'I'll never forgive myself!'

'Now that that's out of the way,' Kirito turned to Asuna. 'Why'd you have Argo call me here?' The chestnut-haired girl raised an eyebrow at this.

'What makes you think I made her call you here?'

'I saw you recognize me at the shopping district,' the teen said as Sinon moved backwards, hiding herself in the shadows. 'I know that Klein would've asked Argo to find me, and so that would've resulted in me coming here. After all, it's the perfect way of getting me to come to you without you asking.'

'I see that your quick thinking hasn't left you, Kirito.' Sighing, Asuna stood up and moved until she was directly opposite her ex, a ruler's length of air separating their faces. 'Alright, fine. I'll bite.' Watching the two talk, Sinon swore she glimpsed Kirito mouth something.

 _Don't hold back_

'Kirito, I love you.' Asuna took a deep breathe before exhaling. 'The reason why I love you is because of our experience together in Aincrad. Watching you fight for the weak and helping the people in need, fighting off your own demons while participating in every boss raid… Everything you did made me fall in love with you more and more. Then, I got trapped in ALO.' Sinon frowned as Kirito's ex brought up information she had never heard about. 'In less than a week, you managed to fight your way to me. You defeated the strongest player easily, beat a quest that was made to be impossible _and_ stopped a G.M with your own determination. Don't you see?'

'…' Kirito didn't speak as Asuna leaned forwards. Soon, the teen's arms were wrapped around the swordsman's neck, and she leaned in. Lips centimeters apart, Asuna closed her eyes as she felt happiness surge through her body. She had finally got through to him, and all she had to do was… Was… Kiss him to seal the deal? Opening her eyes confused, Asuna looked into Kirito's eyes, seeing the cold, empty stare that bored into her soul.

'Hmph?'

'You still don't get it, do you?' Removing his finger from between his and her lips, Kirito watched as Asuna's eyes betrayed her emotions; betrayal, confusion, love… All emotions mixed together into a cluster. 'Asuna, I don't love you anymore. Anything that was there disappeared the moment you broke up with me. All my trust, love…' Kirito slowly moved his hand, indicating that there was nothing. 'Gone.' The teen felt bad, but he knew this was necessary. Asuna was only hurting herself more and more by loving him. Besides, Kirito felt a nostalgic feeling just by being around Sinon, and he could take an accurate guess at what the feelings were.

'Back in Aincrad,' Kirito hesitated before pushing on. 'I fell in love with you. You were beautiful, strong, and led a guild to victory countless times. I fell for the Lightning Flash Asuna, and soon after SAO, I fell in love with the real you.'

'But you?' The teens shook his head as his ex took a step back. 'You fell in love with _Kirito._ The BlackSwordsMan Kirito. Whenever we were in the real world, I'd never hear my actual name, Kazuto, but instead Kirito.' Kirito took a breath before exhaling.

'That's why I'm telling you this,' he said. 'I fell in love with both the virtual and real you, Asuna. I still have feelings for you, but they won't ever grow into anything anymore after what you did. So, I guess this is goodbye in a way. I'll still see you around, but I won't be your lover anymore.'

'It's all her fault, isn't it?' Shocked and surprised, Kirito and Sinon didn't notice Klein slipping out of the room and Argo's head peeking from her bedroom door. Seriously, when the hell did those two move?

'Tell me, Kirito!' The teen shouted, her voice escalating louder and louder. 'It was that bitches fault you won't love me anymore, isn't it? What does she have that I don't, huh? I'm smart, strong and can keep up with you. I've even got a bigger chest than her!'

'Don't,' Kirito's voice was low, but Sinon could hear the growl slowly coming out as her best friend grabbed Asuna's arm, stopping her from unconsciously slapping him. 'Call Sinon a bitch!' Looking up into Asuna's eyes, the girl felt terrified. A raging, burning fire of hurt, anger, affection and hurt was swirling within his onyx pupils. 'Sinon is just as strong as you in her own ways, and has her strong and weak points in her knowledge. My friend, no… Best friend can also keep up with me just as well as you, maybe even better!' Kirito's voice lashed out at Asuna as she sunk to the ground, but the teen held her up from the ground, making her receive every harsh word like a whip, lashing out at every vulnerable part of her body.

'And don't even try using the fact that you have a bigger chest as something that makes you better than her,' Kirito growled before letting Asuna's arm fall to the ground, her whole-body limp as she whimpered. 'I thought better of you, Asuna. You used to be a good person. Did you turn into this jealous bitch because of your feelings to me? If so, forget them. Find somebody else who's better for you.' The last part came out as an unintentional snarl, but the words were necessary. Kirito felt a deep, scarring pain in his chest, but ignored his humanity. Asuna needed to learn, no matter how cold or harsh his words were.

'Kirito, I-.'

'Save your words for someone who cares,' the teen said as he turned around, leaving his back visible. 'You hurt me once when I placed all my trust in you. You really expect me to trust you again?'

Kirito, I-I didn't know.' Walking forwards, the teen gently wrapped his arms around Sinon and pulled her in close; her head pressed against his shoulder. Feeling her warmth against his chest let a small smile come onto Kirito's face.

'It's alright,' he said. 'I needed to get that of my shoulders. The burden that had on me…' The teen shook his head before glancing at a broken Asuna. 'I'm also sorry for being so harsh on my ex. I've had this… anger, just building inside of me this all time.'

'Hey,' Sinon murmured as she looked up, tracing the edge of his face with a bare finger, sending electricity throughout his whole body. 'Everyone has their own breaking point. It's unhealthy to store up all this anger without something happening.'

'I suppose your right.' Kirito gave Sinon a grateful smile, making her heart beat that tiny bit faster before he unwrapped himself from her slender frame. 'Come on, let's get going.'

'Right.' Together, the pair walked towards the exit as Argo let a half-grin, half-grimace show on her face.

'Kirito.' Stopping in his tracks, the teen glanced back at Asuna but didn't say anything. 'I-I know I lost the right to ask this, but…' The chestnut-haired girl's gaze fell onto his back. 'Does Sinon make you happy?' Shocked form the question, Kirito took a deep breath before turning around and giving Asuna a smile that explained everything.

'Yes. Yes, she does.'

'Then I wish you luck.' Nodding slightly, Kirito turned around, only to see a flash of ice-blue hair leave the building. 'Go get her.' Whipping around to face Asuna, the smile on her face made him feel glad that he hadn't hurt her too badly. 'You like her, don't you?' A single nod. 'Then go get her.'

'Thanks, Asuna.' Without another word, Kirito left the building, bringing up his menu to track the girl as he did.

'No,' Asuna muttered as the tears began to well up in the corner of the eyes. 'Thank you.' Unable to contain them anymore, the girl cried her heart. She cried for the loss of her lover. She cried at her own stupidity. But most of all, she cried because she was sad.

* * *

'Why am I running away?' Those words left Sinon's mouth as she continued to dodge and weave in between players and NPC's alike. 'I like Kirito, and he likes me, so why?'

…

The girl let words ramble from her mouth unconsciously before shutting up and slowing down, realizing that nobody would answer her.

'Sinon.' That voice… Not turning around, the girl whimpered as she heard the footsteps get louder with each step. 'Sinon.'

 _No, not know…_

'Sinon.' Unable to take it anymore, the girl when to turn around, only for Kirito's arms to smoothly wrap themselves around her stomach. Gasping in surprise, Sinon didn't move as Kirito hugged her from behind, letting his warmth course into her veins. The feeling was… electrifying. 'Why'd you run away?'

'I… Um…' She licked her lips nervously. 'Kirito,' She lowered her head, bangs covering her face. 'Do you like me?'

'Yes.' That no hesitation…

 _Damn it! Stop making this so hard Kirito!_

'C-Could you let go for a sec?' The teen obliged.

 _Stop making this so damn hard Kirito! Take a deep breath Shino. Right now, you're an ordinary girl, not the mask you show the world._

'I-!'

'Sinon, I know that you have feelings for me.'

 _Fuck_

Leaning forwards, Kirito brought out his hands and cupped Sinon's face before bringing it in close. When they were mere centimeters apart, the teen sighed before pressing his forehead against hers, noses touching. It was unfamiliar but felt strangely intimate.

 _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

'Sinon,' he murmured, his fresh, minty breath attacking her oxygen supply. 'I know that we both have feelings for each other. I can barely restrain myself from holding your hand, but…'

 _Fuck me_

'I'm a terrible person, and I don't want you to be with me knowing that.'

 _Oh, that was unexpected. Wait a second, say something Shino you dumbass!_

'Kirito,' it was Sinon's time to cup Kirito's face. Leveling his face so that their eyes looked into each togethers, piercing sapphire met an abyssal onyx and their feelings surfaced in their eyes. 'You're not a terrible person. You're kind and help others, and you're a symbol of strength to those in need. But you don't let others help you out. Please…' Sinon buried her face into his chest, gripping onto his shirt tightly with both hands. 'Just let me be your pillar of strength. Let me help you for once.'

'Sinon, I-.'

'I know that you won't be able to show your feelings to me straightaway because of whatever happened with Asuna,' the girl said. 'But I'll wait for you. Take your time to rebuild your strength, because once you're back, I'll be-!'

'You've said enough.' Smiling, Kirito watched Sinon raised her head. 'Thank you Sinon. I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long.'

'Kirito.' The two teenagers stood in silence, enjoying each other's presence for comfort.

'Well then,' the boy said softly. 'Should we go then?' Nodding, Sinon followed Kirito as they walked back towards their apartment room. Unconsciously, Kirito reached and gripped Sinon's hand, but she fixed their grip until they walked together, connected by their hands. Eventually, they reached the lobby before walking into the elevator. The girl collapsed into Kirito's shoulder, mentally exhausted from revealing her feelings but Kirito just smiled, his mind never being as stressed as it was in Aincrad. Picking her up bridal-style, the teen carried her into their apartment before locking the door behind him. Setting her down, Sinon murmured something incoherent as she pulled off her clothes, leaving her in her underwear before grabbing a sweater she bought a while ago. Slipping it on, the girl fell onto Kirito's bed before he joined her as well, wearing a tank-top and shorts. Snuggling up against each other, they enjoyed each other's warmth before embracing each other.

Their feelings had finally reach each other, and their separate ties became interlocked. The tattered ribbon and scarred ribbon connected to each other, their ends melting before fusing into one complete fabric.

Was it fate that they met like this?

Or was Kirito just a lucky bastard?

Either way, their lives were interlocked into a single ribbon of fate.

* * *

 **I am so sorry for those waiting for this update for so long. I've been out of inspirations and ideas for this story, then a couple of days ago…**

 ***Poof***

 **A shit ton of shit; like metric shit tons of shit came flowing into my mind. So now, I have a basic idea of how this story is going to play out now, and I've also decided to speed things thanks to a review. Also, I got an SAO Light Novel from a new bookstore at the town nearby, so I suppose that also adds to the inspiration I currently lack. Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates. I really try sometimes to get these chapters out, but the fire I had before kinda went out. It doesn't really help that I've been replaying Skyrim as a mage only build recently either. Also for the people who don't know, I've been literally writing this story with nothing to base it on. I'm honestly surprised it's lasted this long, especially when I go back and look at my writing quality. Anyway, I've got a basic idea/future idea that I'm going to go through with this story. Also, for those wondering about Asuna. Yes, those words from Kirito shattered her insides like they were a fragile glass sculpture that was knocked over by an overly-energetic two-year-old. Honestly, I had no idea on how to write that part, but I decided to make Kirito just be cold and harsh towards Asuna until she finally got it through her yande-… Sorry, I met thick-skull that he didn't like her.**

 **Also, I wrote the first half of this chapter in about one chapter, while I wrote the rest within an hour or two. Pretty pathetic effort on my end, isn't it?**

 **Now, I have on week of school left then I'll be on holidays. I would like to say that I'll be practically uploading once every week, but that's an unrealistic standard for someone lazy, unmotivated and self-deprecating like me. Check my profile for update times for stories. And once again, sorry for the lack of chapters, I've literally had no motivation to write. I've been just enjoying reading fanfics like KnightEstoc's Nightblade series. Seriously, that shit is good.**

 **Also, about my HighSchool DxD Fanfiction. Yes, it is being update more often than every other fanfiction I have. Why is that? It's because I have a burning motivation for it still, and I saw how every other story I have has literally no motivation for it. Don't be surprised if I keep pumping chapters out for it as well. Also, how quickly I gained followers and reviews for that story doesn't hurt either.**

 **-Strider**

 **P:S – I Love you guys, but I also hate all of you at the same. It's just the way I am.**


	20. A Prelude To A Resurrection

**The Swordsman and The Sniper - The Ribbons of Fate**

 **Here, have some fluff and a chapter rewrite.**

 ***Clears throat***

 **Anyway, this chapter rewrite is just me adding some more stuff and fixing up some issues. It's pretty much the same with some extra description and whatnot. Also, look for A Game Of LIfe And Death or One Of A Kind to be updated next.**

* * *

As Sinon's grip on the pillow lessened and her breathing slowed down, Kirito let out a sigh as he slowly got out of bed, ignoring Sinon's moans as her source of warmth left her. Moving towards the window, the teen gazed at the tiny, visible moon seen through all the polution from SBC Glocken.

' _Sugu, Mum, everyone...'_ Kirito thought to himself as he clenchedhis hands unconsciously. ' _I swear, I will come back._ '

'Kirito, come back...' Sinon mumbled, her voice weak and tired.

'Yeah,' the teen said softly. 'I'll be right there.'

Crawling back into bed, Sinon instantly snuggled up to his side, relishing the fact that her warm, cuddly body pillow returned. Sighing, Kirito smiled as he ruffled her hair gently before closing his eyes, sleep quickly taking him away on his next adventure.

* * *

Kirito felt like something was wrong. A week had passed after Kirito confessed to Sinon, and despite her confessing her own feelings, he felt like something terrible was going to happen soon. A sixth sense he picked up from SAO, despite his hatred towards it, it never lied once, and Kirito knew it wasn't lying now. Grabbing his shirt, the teen slipped it on before equipping his equipment from the menu. Glancing around, he saw Sinon's curled up form on the bed, murmuring to herself as she hugged the blanket. Walking over, Kirito leaned over and gave her a light kiss on her forehead, brushing her hair out of her face. As he moved away from the bed, he heard her moan like someone took her teddy.

'Ki-ri-tio...'

'I'm sorry, I'll be back soon.'

Soon, Kirito was walking out of the hotel at a brisk pace before slowly running then sprinting towards Argo's place. Players blurred by and neon lights turned into nusiances as the teen pushed himself to his utmost speed, utilizing his unlimited stamina in the safe zone. Barging in through The Rat's door, the teen went to knock on the door, only for it to swing open, Argo's face nearly in tears as she tripped forwards into Kirito's arms.

'Argo, what's going on?'

'I-It's Asuna, Kii-bou. She's been taken.'

* * *

Sitting on the couch in silence, Argo watched Kirito from her own chair, the teen pressing his head against his clasped hands. The girl could see his hands shaking slightly as he stroked his long hair, his eyes closed as his mind processed the information.

'Do you know who took her?' He asked, voice near silent.

'I received a PM from a player named Sterben who demanded that two female players meet up with him at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of SBC Glocken,' Argo said quickly as she opened her menu before sending a copy of the message to Kirito. 'That's all I know. I'm sorry that I don't have anymore information.'

'I'm going to go get her back.' As the teen stood up, Argo darted forwards and grabbed his sleeve, pinning him in place.

'Promise me,' she muttered quietly, her voice barely a whisper. 'Come back alive.' Nodding slightly, Argo let go of Kirito's sleeve before he ran forwards, a door slamming shut within the second. Falling back, the Rat fought the tears threatening to build up before she swiped her menu open before clicking on countless names at once. As countless windows opened separate of the main window, a keyboard popped up and Argo's fingers flew across the keys.

 _'I may not be able to help fight,'_ the girl thought in her head. _'But I'm sure as hell not leaving you by yourself.'_ Finished with her message, Argo didn't care if it was satisfactory as she hit send. Pulling every favor and promising free information, the Rat tried getting as much information on Kirito's enemy.

'Oh my god.'

* * *

As Kirito sprinted through town at full speed, his stamina unaffected because of the safe zone, he blew past players, leaving behind a large trail of dust in his wake. Without realizing, the teen collided with the edge of a stall, forcing him off balance. As he spun whilst still moving at insane speeds, he smashed into a player, sending both hurtling forwards. Airbourne, Kirito growled as he forced himself back into control of his body, twirling midair before landing, coming up in a roll before darting forwards, ignoring the groaning player as he cursed him.

'What were you thinking, Asuna?' Kirito muttered as he saw the borders of SBC Glocken coming closer. Pushing himself even harder, everything became mmore blurry as he leaped up, landing on a rooftop before sliding down, landing in a main road in SBC Glocken. Soon, the teen was at the border of the city before stepping out onto the outskirts, the safe zone effects instantly wearing off. Glancing around, Kirito spotted a warehouse not too far away and began running towards it at a brisk pace, not risking losing stamina in case of a trap. Soon, the teen came to a stop by the door and pulled out his Photon Sword and pistol. Taking off the safety, he flicked the supressor off the edge without care before looking over his energy blade. Finding the new addition he got a couple of days ago, he pushed the slider up until it no longer moved. Finally, Kirito pushed the door open before darting in, his saber instantly activating and coating his surroundings in a light purple hue.

'Ahh,' a mechanical voice rang out, making Kirito instantly tense up and go on guard. 'It seems that my message got through to Ms Rat.'

Saying nothing, Kirito traversed through the warehouse, jumping over knocked over shelves and crouching underneath broken pillars of metal as a dull light seeped in through a crack from the roof. Noticing that the area was filled with spilt petrol and countless explosives, the teen carefully reached the center of the room. Suddenly, a spotlight flashed into existence before focusing onto a chestnut-haired beauty stripped down to nothing but her underwear. Seeing Asuna in a familiar state to when Sugou violated her, Kirito felt an unbridled, cold rage burst into life, the flame clouding his judgement.

'Refuse to speak? Well, I suppose silence is a fitting for the Black Swordsman when his friend is in danger.' As a cloaked figure fell from the ceiling and landed with grace, a hiss of steam escaped from the hood as the player straightened up. With glowing red eyes that spoke of danger, a burst of steam escaped the mechanical mask as the dark army camouflage cloak he wore shimmered for a spilt second. 'Hello Kirito, it's time for some payback.'

* * *

 **\- Striderm8**


	21. Update for you amazing people

Quick update to all the followers on my first ever FanFiction story ever! Thank you all SO MUCH for 204 Follows and 152 Favourites! You guys/girls... it means a lot to see how popular this story has become. I personally have many problems with it myself, but I'm glad many people toughed it through and still enjoy the chapters! As of now, this story has officially existed for over one year! I feel bad for missing the anniversary date or whatever you want to call it for the story, but I know I'm going to make it up to all of you in the next chapter!

Speaking of the chapter, I've had some serious writer's block. I've had issues approaching the fight with Kirito and our favourite rapist red eye guy. So, in light of that, I'm going to try my best and make this chapter great for all of you! I'll try get it out in the next month, so sorry about the massive wait!

Also, how is this story so popular if it's rated M? I might go back and fix all the chapters and stuff and probably make it T+ or whatever the rating is.

Regardless, thank you everyone who has stuck with me so far. I'm guessing about tenish more chapters before the stories over, so please bare with me!

\- Striderm8


	22. The Beginning of the End

**T҉h͡è ̴̢S̶̢͝wơ̛r͡ds̡mà̕n a̴̢ǹ̢d̛͢ ͡T̵͏͡h̷͟e̵̢ ͞S̴n̴͢i̛p҉e҉ŗ͝ ̢-̧ ́͏̢T͏̵h͟e҉ ̶̧̨R̡i̢b̴̛b̧oń̵̀s ̵̛͞ó͏f͜͞ Fą̶t͘e̵͘ ̷͞͡**

 **The long-awaited chapter. Here you go.**

* * *

"Payback?" Kirito said as he struggled to not move. His anger was beginning to overflow.

"Yes, **_Black Swordsman_** ," the man said mockingly. "Payback for the torture you made me undergo in Aincrad." Steam hissed from his mask. "That prison was hell, and you are directly responsible for sending me there."

Kirito slowly settled into a stance.

"I don't remember you," the teen said as he flourished his lightsaber. "And even if I did, I don't really care. Though, I do know this."

Slowly walking forwards, the teen let his anger power his movements, but not control them

"You hurt Asuna," he said darkly. "You targeted her to get to me. I won't forgive you."

The man laughed as he began to fade before turning invisible.

"We will see."

Kirito held his sword by his side, leaving himself defenseless as he closed his eyes, listening.

The world seemed to slow down for Kirito as he lowered himself into his instincts.

 _Thud_

 ** _Thud_**

 ** _Thud_**

 _'There!'_

Shouting, Kirito swung his whole body with his strike, the purple laser managing to cut into the cloak.

Sparks of electricity fizzled out as the man chuckled in amusement.

"So, you're still at your peak? Too bad. It seems that I've improved well and above you," he gloated.

"I wouldn't be too sure," Kirito said as he straightened up. "If I'm able to hit you whilst invisible, then you aren't a match for me."

"We will see."

Darting forwards, the player raised his sniper before ripping something out of the weapon.

'An estoc,' Kirito thought to himself as he blocked the first strike before retaliating. 'Who in Aincrad used an estoc?'

Sparks flying out from contact, the teen grunted as he jumped back before darting back in, sword flashing.

Cackling, the man parried every strike before suddenly knocking away Kirito's sword.

"Die!" He shouted.

In a flash, he unleashed four lightning fast strikes, copying the skill Quadruple Pain from Aincrad.

 _ **Clang!**_

 _ **Clang!**_

 _ **Clang!**_

 _ **FWOOSH!**_

Blocking the first three thrusts, Kirito moved out of the way of the last strike before unleashing a devastating diagonal slash, sending the player flying backwards and out of the warehouse.

Slowly walking forwards, Kirito was met with the sandy desert and blasting heat.

"You know, if you tried this at the start of the game, I would've lost," Kirito said as the player struggled to stand up. The teen's eyes became dull, darker.

The player's red eyes seemed to glow even brighter in response, but not in anticipation.

"But now? There isn't just a skill difference anymore. There's a stat difference as well."

Looking around for any enemies, the teen saw none and let out a tiny sigh of relief.

Making his way towards the immobile player, Kirito saw the extent of damage on him.

His sword had left a deep gash that cut straight through his armor, and his earlier strike had also clipped his waist.

Kirito frowned.

"You haven't been levelling up, have you?"

The player let out a weak grunt as he struggled to sit up, his gloating gone. The teen watched carefully before stepping over and smacking him in the back of the head. A K.O status popped over the player as his name appeared.

"Sterben?"

'…he must've been scared of the death game, and hid. What convinced him to do this? But why would he be scared? He was in SAO, wasn't he?' The teen sighed.

Opening his menu, Kirito waited before a teleport crystal spawned in before placing it on Sterben.

"Teleport. Black Prism Castle."

As Sterben's body disappeared, Kirito shivered violently, his sixth sense waking. Something wasn't right.

 _ **CRACK!**_

Leaping backwards, Kirito managed to dive into cover as bullets painted the sand. Coughing, the teen managed to swipe away the sand clouds that formed before peering over his cover; a half-formed stone that size of his body.

Bullets were flying through the dust cloud, buffeting away the sand as it revealed the owner of the bullet-storm.

"Another one?!"

Kirito darted away as bullets punched the sand, moving into the warehouse as the player growled.

"I'm going to kill you," he snarled as he ran forwards, tossing his gun to the side. "How _dare_ you take her from me!"

* * *

Vaulting over a fallen shelf, Kirito rushed to Asuna, cutting her bonds swiftly.

"There's somebody outside," the teen said quietly. "Find somewhere safe and hide."

"I'll fight by your side," Asuna snapped back as she covered her chest, opening her menu. As her blush deepened, the girl quickly equipped spare clothes she had in her inventory alongside the starter pistol. Letting out a sigh of relief, her features softened. "I'm glad you came, Kirito."

"…don't mention it. Let's get out of here first."

Nodding, Asuna nodded before a shadow blurred past her, colliding with Kirito.

 **"Die**! **Die!** Di **e**! D **ie**! Die **!** **Di** e! **Die!"**

The player cackled madly as Asuna froze, shocked at the sigh in front of her.

Kirito was grunting, desperately trying to block the blows. The player sitting on top of his chest was laughing madly as he connected blow after blow, leaving deep red gashes in Kirito's arms.

"Kirito!"

Darting forwards, Asuna's kick connected with the players head, sending them sprawling forwards as the raven-haired teen managed to roll out of the way. Getting to his feet, Kirito grimaced as he eyed his health bar.

'Not good,' he thought as he eyed the player's red indicator.

"Shino, _Shino,_ **_Shino , Shino! Shino! Shino! Shino!_** How dare you take away **my** _**Shino** **!**_ "

"He's insane," Asuna muttered as the player slowly stood up, delusional.

Kirito grimaced.

"I'll try to knock him out. Do you have any teleport crystals?"

Asuna opened her menu and shook her head.

"Alright then."

Slowly moving forwards, the player began laughing again, his long silver hair standing out in the darkness of the warehouse.

"Kill you. Kill **yo** u. Kill you! **Ki** ll you **! KI _LL YOU!_** "

 **FWIP!**

Darting forwards, Kirito smacked the boy in the back of the head, knocking him out. Before he hit the ground, the teen caught him and opened his menu, selecting a teleport crystal.

"Teleport, Black Prism Castle."

The player quickly disappeared, his camouflaged gear visible for a split second before disappearing.

Letting out a sigh, Kirito turned to Asuna and gave her a small smile.

"I'm glad that you're alright."

 _Thud_

 ** _Thud_**

 ** _Thud_**

"Kirito!"

Reacting instantly. The teen managed to spin around just as Sinon ran in, her sniper strapped to her back and her secondary out.

"What happened here?" Sinon asked as the teen relaxed.

"I got a message from Argo saying that somebody wanted to meet me here," Kirito said as he made his way towards the exit. "They managed to catch Asuna somehow, so I ended up fighting a player named Sterben. After that, I freed Asuna, then got attacked by another player."

The chestnut-haired girl nodded.

"I was farming for some materials around here when I was hit from behind," she responded as they all walked out back into the hot desert area. "After that, I woke up bound in the warehouse. Luckily, they didn't do anything to me, but still…" Asuna let out a low growl. "To be caught like that..."

"At least you're fine now," Sinon said. "We can all head to Argo's now and figure out who did this. To be purposefully targeting you two…"

"You two are going to Argo's place," Kirito corrected as they stopped walking. "I'm going to the prison. I need to figure out who did this so it doesn't happen again."

"Kiri-"

"No buts," the teen said firmly. "I don't want to risk this happening again, Sinon. It could happen to any of us."

The girl sighed.

"Alright, fine. I'll wait for you at Argos."

 ** _Bang!_**

Kirito felt his whole body go cold as he fell forwards, unable to move.

 ** _"KIRITO!"_**

* * *

Pulling the bolt back, the spent shell was ejected as the man grinned, aiming down the scope again.

 _ **RING! RING!**_

"Tsk. Only got one of them."

The man quickly stood up, throwing his rifle over his shoulder as he disappeared into the sandy desert.

* * *

. . .

 **. . .**

 **. . .**

. **. .**

 **. . .**

. . .

 **. . .**

. . .

 _ **Th** ud_

 _. .-_

 ** _Thud_**

 _. .-_

 _Thu **d**_

 ** _. .-_**

 ** _Thud_**

. . **.**

"My plan is coming to a close," Heathcliff said, his voice echoing. "Kirito. Are you going to wake up anytime soon?"

The man sighed as the teen's body remained unmoving on the table, the void-black room devoid of any light except for the one light hanging from the ceiling. Manipulating his menu, Heathcliff tapped on many buttons before clicking the final one.

Instantly, Kirito sat up, awake.

As the teen began looking around wildly, Heathcliff cleared his throat, the mere action echoing throughout the room.

"Why am I here."

"You were about to die," the man replied calmly. "So, I withheld my end of the deal. After cooperating with you, my end of the deal must be upheld."

Kirito grimaced, his face hidden by the darkness.

"So, what's your end?"

Heathcliff smiled.

"To complete my plan for GGO, the dungeons must be cleared," he said, a hint of emotion in his voice. "There have been some possible candidates to lead, but no other player has as much experience as the Black Swordsman."

"…"

Heathcliff noted the teen's silence.

"You know what I want now. You don't have a choice."

"If I do this… you leave Sinon, Argo and Asuna alone. Don't bring them into this. If you do, I'll stop."

"Of course, Kirito. However, if they join the dungeon clearing of their own choice, then I will do nothing to stop them."

"…"

Manipulating his menu, Heathcliff swiped sideways, sending the menu over to Kirito who glanced at the screen.

"The Bullet of Bullets competition will begin shortly. Players will be randomly selected and sent into the arena and be forced to fight for victory. Of course, that includes you as well, Kirito."

"…"

"I expect great things from you. If you fail… of course, I do not need to relay the consequences to you."

Heathcliff turned around and began to walk away.

"…I won't kill."

The man stopped, only for a smile to grace his features.

"Of course, Kirito. You won't kill, even if they threaten **her** life, will you?"

" **!"**

"You have three hours to prepare. I hope you succeed, even if it's for **their** sake."

"…"

* * *

 **|3 Hours Later|**

Kirito waited patiently, his thoughts dark and clouded. He was currently sitting on a fallen stone pillar, vines wrapped around the smashed stone as the sun slowly set, sending waves of red hues which washed over the landscape.

 **"Player's entering arena in-**

 **5**

 **4**

 **3**

 **2**

 **1**

 **0."**

Kirito remained silent as the system announcement echoed.

"Let the Bullet of Bullets begin!"

Instantaneously, the sound of cracking glass erupted throughout the small arena, the surrounding jungle filled with screams of despair. The teen winced at every scream, closing his eyes to shut out the pain of the others around him.

"Heya pretty girl, mind bending over for me?"

Slowly, Kirito opened his eyes as a burly man towered over him, his muscles coated in a small coat of sweat.

"Leave," Kirito said softly. "I don't want to do this."

"Heh?" The man growled as he reached forwards, his hand easily closing around the teen's slender throat. "Listen here you bitch, you're going to do as I say. Now, bend over!"

 _ **CRACK!**_

Grunting, Kirito felt his forehead and gasped.

'When did our models start bleeding?!'

Groaning, Kirito slowly rose from the ground as he heard a belt unbuckling from behind.

"Alright you slut, suck it!"

"…please," the teen whispered. "Forgive me."

"What'd you say!"

Instantaneously, the teen activated his saber as he swung, his whisper silenced by the loud scream of pain as the player's torso flew into the sky. With a sickening thud, the torso landed as its organs spread out, blood slowly leaking.

"Mikey187_xX, Eliminated. 67 Players Remaining."

Panting heavily, Kirito felt a heavy weight settle upon his heart as he glanced at the body.

' _Murderer.'_

' _M͟o̷nster_ _.'_

Deactivating his sword, Kirito lost touch with his surroundings, everything becoming darker and duller in his vision. Time seemed to slow down as the background noise faded into dull clicks and clacks, gunfire fading into nothing.

The world was black and white, with shades of grey cascading over everything.

 _ **Anger.**_

 _ **F́r̸u̵st̴ratio̢n͝**_

 _ **T̨̕e̕͟͞r̡r̢҉o̕r̡͢͝.̵̸ ̷**_

 _ **D́è̸̶p̶̵̢a̕ir̶̵͢**_

 _ **Dis̴appǫin̕t͝me̶nt̀**_

. . .

Taking the life of another human took its toll.

Kirito shed his humanity as bullets flew past, his blade flickering to life.

The teen lost his connection to his emotions as he darted forwards, ending another player's life in one strike.

His emotions were buried deep as the orange player died, a scream of terror filling the air.

An image of Kirito falling out of his body was shown as something darker consumed him. The Black Swordsman of Aincrad remained, and his morals were gone, his darker side winning the battle. There would be no mercy for monsters and players alike, for no mercy was given to him.

[Line Break]

Kayaba smiled as he watched the Bullet of Bullets progress. Kirito – The Black Swordsman – had broken down, the mental stress of taking a life weighing him down to the point of losing his emotions. Kayaba wasn't stupid; he sent Kirito into the BoB for a reason.

In Aincrad, Kirito had taken lives of other players, and it had left a heavy, forgotten weight in his heart. Whilst time heals all, there simply hadn't been enough time to recover.

"Congratulations, Kirito," he said calmly. "You pass. Become the hero you truly were supposed to become, and embrace it."

* * *

 **So, didn't get everything I would like to have gotten into this chapter, and it isn't as grand as it should be, but you guys deserve an update.**

 **Sp, tell me your thoughts! What do you think of Kayaba, and what details ensue this _contract_ of theirs? What will happen to Kirito after the BoB? Who is _in_ the BoB? What will Sinon, Argo and Asuna do now? Who was the crazy player who attacked Kirito and why? Who is this 'Shino'? *snickers*. Anyway, thanks for reading.**

 **PS:** **Now, I haven't really foreshadowed anything crazy yet, but I want you to speculate. The following chapters are pretty much the final arc for this roaming story, and there should be at least five.**

 **Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The next one is gonna be awesome (hopefully)!**


	23. BoB Climax

**T̴̨̨̲̹̞͙̥̍͋̀͋̆̇̍͠h̴̛̜̖̹̬̙̱̩̾͂̋͛́͛̑̏́e̴̡̨̢͎̟̬͎̟̲͗͂̌̀͝͝͝͠͝ S̷̨̬̞̠͉̻̦̲̫̥̅̑͌̐͒͒͑̌͘͡w̢͇̫̙͕̦̪̪̼͗̿͛̿͘ơ̶͔̮̯͓̩̗͖͖͊̃̓́̐̽̃͝ͅr̸̲̦͎̙͚͗̐̾͛̽̌̽̌̔͝d̙͎̼̼͉͕̰͔̀̔̎̂͋̎͋̚͢͠͠ͅs̻͈͓̝͍̝͒͌̑̃̐͟͟͠ͅm̸̺̜̗̪̣̗͕͙̀̈̒͑̊̀͘̚a̡͎̝͚̬̐̔͆̿̀͟͟͜͞ņ̢̫͇̰̹̰͛̈́͑́̓̏͟͟ ä̦̗̰͓̺̼͇́͛̃͆͛̓̒̆̓͢͞ͅn̶̢̡̨̫͍̩͇̑̈̒̂̈́̄̈́͢d͙̟̱̦̤̳͎̈́̽̈́̌̒͘̕͟͢ͅ T̴̬̘̯̙͎͖̗̤͖̃̅́̽̽̀̔͆͂̕͢h̡̨͇͉̪͕̺̜̤̀͗͒͑͋̇̚̕̕͡ȅ̴̟̲̥̳̤͖̰͕̽̊̐̃̿͜͠͡ Ş̧̺̠͈̞̰̯̯̒̒̒̓̆̉͜͡n̵̫̰̪͖͊͋̉̄́̍̿͜i̧̫̫̖̺̰̯̣̝͌̌̃͑͑͐p̶̬͓͚̝̖̭̭̼͂̽̃̀͌̀̂͝͞ȩ̢̩͚̝̼̋͊͋̔̒ř̵̟̙̫̻̳̟̣̒̀̌̍̂̈́̕͢:̷͖̜̫͎̫̦̖̫͉̅̽̆́̿̀̓̀̏̊͟ R̶̛̟̼̥̺̰̯̻͚͛͗̒́͗̀̚ͅͅǐ̙̦̭̟͉̙̐̏͗̑ḇ̧̬̝̹͍͐̇̀̈̈͢b̡̛̺̘͈̙̫͔̤̼̆̇̔̓͋̚͜͠ǫ̶̗̗̻̼̣̓̈́͌̄̈́͋n̨̬̪̝̳̦̗̝̫̽̀̌̕͝s̸̗͙̘̙̞͛͊͂̀̍̆͘ ơ̷̫͉̻̤̱̓͐̃́̎̂̓̃͝ͅf̡͚̺̣͊̄̋̀͂̎ͅ F͓̻̻͎̹̟̲̞̻̉̾͌̈̚͠ͅa͍̻͓͉̜͍͔̓̇̍̀̃͟͡ṯ̨̛͔̭̖̭̟͙̦̥̎̀̄͒̑̂̀̑̕e̵̬̦͉̞̯͚̩̗͓͂́͗̓̕͝͞**

 **We are in business! What's this? An update directly after an update? Be grateful plebs, I decided to bust another chapter out cause I've got the energy to write!**

* * *

 **ZHIN!**

The purple laser slashed through its target, blood erupting outwards onto his face.

 _ **ZWHIP!**_

Reacting instantly, its owner spun, pivoting on the spot to avoid a grab for his throat.

 **ZHIN!**

With another clean strike, the offender's hand then head flew into the air, blood falling like rain from the heavens before it landed with a sickening thud. The body twitched once before it became still, unmoving.

 _ **BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

Throwing himself forwards, the teen deactivated his blade, sheathed it, and pulled out his handgun. Returning fire blindly, he looked around wildly as something glinted, catching his eyes. Grabbing the grenade, he pulled the pin before hurling it over his cover.

 **KA-BOOM!**

 _ **FFYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM**_

Pressing his back against the fallen tree trunk, the teen gritted his teeth as hot winds blasted the area, fragments flying outwards.

 _ **ZZZssszszssszszszsz**_

Brushing his hair out of his face, the teen slowly stood up and looked around.

"There he is!"

"Kill that sunavabitch!"

Frowning, Kirito reactivated his blade as a hailstorm of bullets rushed him.

 _ **ZHIN! ZHIN!**_

 _ **ZHIN! ZHIN! ZHIN!**_

 _ **ZHIN!**_

 _ **ZHIN! ZHIN! ZHIN! ZHIN!**_

 _ **THUD!**_

"Fuck!"

Stumbling backwards, the teen managed to press his back to a tree trunk, bullets whizzing past like a never-ending barrage of pain.

Inspecting his thigh, he gritted his teeth, a fragment of a bullet he split in half buried deep in his flesh. Glancing at his coat, numerous bullet holes made it tattered, curtesy of his blade.

Pulling his coat off, the teen wrapped it around his leg tight before tying it, tears threatening to leak out of his eyes.

"Did we get him?"

"Not sure. However..."

 _ **BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

"Bastards..." Kirito murmured. "Team up to kill then turn on each other." He smiled, his face shadowed. "Just what I'd expect from red-players."

Biting his lip, blood slowly trailed down his face till it hit his chin. A droplet of blood fell slowly, hitting the ground as the teen grimaced.

"No, I won't let Kayaba change me into his puppet. I... can't."

Reactivating his blade, he looked around.

The once pristine forest with ancient temple was gone, replaced with scars in the earth, destroyed trees and crumbled stone. Explosions had razed the earth, and not even the temple survived, rubble scattered around the area. The once pristine sunlight was gone, covered by a now permanent cloud of dust.

" **Players Remaining: Two."**

" **Time Remaining: Two Minutes."**

Flipping the notch, his saber buzzed into life, humming quietly as he walked out from behind the tree. Slowly making his way towards the center of the arena, his eyes flicked from body to body; disgust, regret and anger filling his eyes as the teen nearly vomited.

"K-Kirito?"

His name... The one thing the teen didn't want to hear.

Kirito's heart froze.

Slowly turning around, his eyes widened as Sinon stared at him in shock, her arms trembling violently.

"I-I can't do this."

"No, it can't be." The teen looked down, his face shadowed as a message popped up in front of him.

[Heathcliff: Kill the girl, Kirito. Do it and take what is rightfully yours.]

Gritting his teeth, Kirito opened his menu, quickly swiping through all his items. His eyes hardened as he tapped on an item before slowly reaching for his pistol.

"Kirito?"

Taking the clip out, the teen hesitated then changed magazines. Pushing it up, he pulled back the top before aiming it at Sinon. An item spawned in his other hand and he quickly placed it in his pocket.

"I'm sorry, Sinon," he said, gritting his teeth. The girl's eyes widened as tears ran down the boy's bloodied face. Staring at his blood-drenched form, she realized the outcome of the BoB.

Reaching for her pistol, it was too late.

 **BANG!**

The bullet whizzed past her as Kirito bit his lip again.

 **BANG!**

This time, it hit its mark. With a sickening thud, Sinon gasped for breath as she felt her stomach. Pulling her hand away, her eyes widened as she screamed, her hands covered in sticky blood.

Slowly walking over, Sinon couldn't help the tears leaving her eyes as the tattered, bloodied clothes belonging to Kirito entered her blurry vision.

"Sinon... I'm so sorry."

Feeling her body growing colder, she tried to snarl but failed.

"I-I swear, I'll make this up to you," the teen choked out as he kneeled.

Sinon reached up and touched Kirito's face, smudging blood with more blood. Clenching, she dragged her nails down his face. The teen cried out in pain as the girl smirked.

"I... thought I could, trust you."

"I... thought I could trust me to."

Slowly, Kirito straightened up. Cocking back his pistol again, his face was stoic.

"Goodbye, Sinon. Try your best to forget about me."

 _ **Bang!**_

" **Champion of the Bullet of Bullets Competition! Kirito!"**

" **Teleporting out of Arena in ten, nine..."**

Instantly, the teen bent over by Sinon's body as the cameras streaming the BoB disappeared.

"Come on," he murmured, desperate. "Please work, I'm begging you."

Pulling out the item from before, he stabbed it into Sinon's chest before injecting the serum. Instantly, her body jerked violently, the health bar remaining at a sliver of health. Opening his menu again, Kirito desperately searched for the healing items he had.

" **Five."**

" **Four."**

 **Three."**

Materializing the med-pack, he opened it and grabbed a syringe. Without hesitation, he stabbed it into Sinon before immediately injecting the serum.

" **Two."**

"Come on, work..."

" **One."**

Silence.

" **Commencing teleportation into SBC Glocken."**

"Haaahh!~"

 _ **SSHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNN**_

* * *

Heathcliff shook his head, amused, as Kirito teleported in front of him, Sinon's body in his arms.

"That was a might risk you took there, Kirito," the man said, smiling. "What would you do if that didn't work?"

The teen ignored Heathcliff as he set the girl on the lone table, darkness surrounding the three players. Opening the med-kit, he began applying disinfectants, making her body writhe in pain. Kirito glanced at her low-heath bar, the status-buff close to running out.

Cleaning the wound, the teen began putting stitches in, his hand slightly shaking. Quickly, he finished and tied the stitches off before applying bandages around her stomach, carefully wrapping the healing component around her body. Coming to a final stage, he finished bandaging and moved onto her leg, quickly cleaning the wound of any fragments of the bullet. Reaching for the stitches, the teen grimaced, his fingers meeting nothing.

"You're going to cauterize the wound? How very daring. You could kill her doi-."

"Shut up."

Turning his saber on, the teen flicked a few more notches, the length of the laser shortening to that of a dagger. Sliding a notch, the laser dulled, the bright vibrant violet replaced with a dull gray.

Slowly, the teen carefully hovered the saber near her leg, the heat quickly burning her leg. Gritting his teeth, he moved it closer, the wound slowly closing. As soon as it finished, he turned the sword off and placed ice on the burn.

"I'm sorry, Sinon," he murmured as the girl writhed in pain, unable to wake up due to the serum. "This'll be over soon."

Removing the ice, Kirito quickly bandaged her leg before placing the ice over the top of her bandages.

"You should fix your eye, Kirito."

The teen glared at Kayaba.

"Oho? Such hostility directed at me?" Heathcliff gestured towards a chair. "Come. Sit. I'll clean your wound."

"And why would I let you do that?"

Heathcliff lost his smile, frowning instead. "I won't let you lose an eye due to your own stubbornness. Now, come and sit or I'll force you to."

"Tsk."

Moving over, the teen sat in the chair as Heathcliff manipulated his menu.

"Now," he said. "Since you're upholding our contract, I'll change you back to your original form."

A blue light covered Kirito's body before disappearing, revealing the teen in the same tattered clothes and wounds, reverted to his real-life appearance.

Spawning another med-kit, Heathcliff began cleaning Kirito's eye wound, the teen wincing in pain. Ignoring his complaints, Heathcliff finished cleaning it before wrapping a bandage all around his head. Taping it off, he stepped back as Kirito touched the bandage gingerly before sighing.

"...they were all red players, weren't they?"

"You sound awfully calm for killing many of them," Heathcliff replied. "Did you lose something on the way?"

"Answer my question."

The man turned around and paced around in the dark room.

"Yes, they were all red players," Heathcliff said. "The only exceptions were you and her." He glanced at Sinon. "I was hoping that you would kill her, but it seems you read all two-hundred and fifty-five pages of the booklet distributed about the BoB." The man came to a stop. "There are only two ways to stop someone from progressing in the BoB."

"To kill, knock them unconscious or wound them to the point where they cannot fight back."

Heathcliff nodded. "Exactly. I changed the rules to see if you would pick up on that, and you didn't disappoint."

"Then, you'll let her g-."

 **Crreee**

Slowly, Heathcliff pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Sinon, the girl finally stirring. Opening her eyes, Kirito darted forwards as she woke to a gun barrel pointed in her face.

"K-Kirito?"

"Don't you **dare** touch her," the teen snarled, aiming his gun at Heathcliff. "I will destroy everything you live for if you even **dare think of hurting her.** Not even cardinal herself will save you Heathcliff."

Ignoring the barrel pressed to his forehead, Heathcliff seemed amused despite the gun aimed at his throat.

"Interesting..." Lowering his pistol, Kirito kept his up, aimed at the man. "So, Sinon, is it?"

"What do you want? How am I still alive?"

Heathcliff smiled at her confused tone.

"It seems that Kirito here has taken a liking to you," he said, ignoring her questions as the girl glared at the boy's back.

 **Click!**

"Answer my questions," she growled, pressing her gun's barrel into her back. "How am I still here?"

Heathcliff smiled, amused. "You ask these questions, yet you point your gun at your savior. As for what I want..." He lost his smile. "I want you to tell me your relationship with Kirito."

"What relationship?" Kirito winced at Sinon's words.

"I see." Heathcliff holstered his pistol. "Well then, that makes things easier. Kirito." He faced the boy. "Now there will be no distractions for your end of the deal. Will you keep your promise, or will I have to kill everybody you love to make you comply?"

"Don't you dare-."

"Of course," Heathcliff interrupted the teen. "I won't do it myself. Maybe something similar to the 25th Floor incident?"

Kirito instantly paled, his hand trembling.

"You wouldn't," he muttered, his voice shaky. "That was a fucking massacre, and you want to repeat it?"

"If it gets the Black Swordsman to work with me, then I'll do anything. Even if it means killing the girl."

Eyes widening, Kirito watched as Heathcliff darted towards SInon, pinning her to the table with his hand around her throat.

"Stop!" Running forwards, he tackled Heathcliff off of Sinon and pinned him to the ground. Activating his sword, he lowered the short laser towards the man's throat. "Sinon, run!"

"Why should I listen to you-?"

"Just run!"

In an instant, Kirito flew across the room as a black blur as Heathcliff stood up, rubbing his throat.

"So, he still cares for you," the man murmured.

 **BANG!**

Heathcliff sighed as he inspected the bullet hole in his chest.

 **Dakun!**

The door to the room slammed shut, the sniper running away as Kirito staggered to his feet, chuckling.

"Sinon's strong unlike me," the teen said as he swayed forwards. "Think twice before you target her."

"I'll leave her for now," Heathcliff said as he manipulated his menu. In an instant, the bullet hole closed, healing itself instantly as the man looked at Kirito. "So, you will uphold our contract, and I leave the girl alone. Is this good enough for you?"

"Not just Sinon," Kirito said weakly. "Asuna, Argo, Klein... you leave them alone."

"Of course," Heathcliff replied. "I won't touch them. However, I won't restrict their movements or make them invincible."

"It's better then nothing."

 _Thud_

Heathcliff sighed before smiling at Kirito's collapsed form.

"Killing actual players of his own will then nearly killing his own girlfriend... what will you sacrifice next to keep them safe, Kirito? What will it be next? Your morals? Your pride? Or will it be yourself?"

* * *

Sprinting through the alleyways of SBC Glocken, tears fell down Sinon's face as she recalled her memories waking up.

'Kirito...' She thought to herself as she ran. All of her previous thoughts of the kind boy she knew was shattered, having witnessed the massacre of players in the BoB. He mercilessly killed everyone then killed her... or so she thought.

 **Dakun!**

Barging into Argo's apartment, she collapsed on the floor as her leg gave out, startling the two girls and man.

"S-Sinonon?"

"Oh god, what happened to you?"

"Why are you covered in bandages?"

Ignoring their questions, she staggered to her feet, leaning against the wall for support.

"Did you see it?" She asked frantically, pointing at the TV.

"The BoB?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah," Argo shook her head. "It was a massacre."

"Where's Kirito?" Klein asked. "I saw him in there!"

"I-I..." Sinon took a deep breathe then exhaled. "Kirito killed me in the BoB."

. . .

"WHAT!"

"But you're still here," Klein said. "What happened?"

"I was-!"

 _ **DING!**_

"We interrupt viewers this evening for an emergency broadcast."

Everyone turned to look at the TV in the room as it flickered into static, only for the image to refocus.

"As of right now," the news-reporter said frantically. "There is a meteorite headed directly for SBC Glocken. We ask of all residents of SBC Glocken to retreat towards the safehouses designated. Please take only necessities with you. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill."

 _ **BZzzzzzzzt!**_

The TV turned itself off.

 _ **RING! – RING! – RING! – RING!**_

Argo accepted the call.

"Argo? Hello?"

"Kii-bou? Where the hell are ya?"

"There's no time to explain!" He said desperately. "The safehouses aren't safe! Get your belongings and go to the First Floor of the Dungeon! Sinon can guide you's there safely!"

"Kirito!" Klein shouted. "Where the hell are you?"

"...I can't answer that Klein." They heard countless screams in the background. "Just get to safety and call me back!"

"Kirito!"

"Sorry Asuna, and..." The call went silent for a second before Kirito spoke again, his voice heavy. "Sinon... I know you won't forgive me, but... I'm sorry. For everything. It was the only way."

"-!"  
Before Sinon could speak, the line cut.

"What the hell was Kii-bou talking about?" Argo asked.

"Well, I hav-."

 **KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!**

"What was that?"

"Don't matter Klein," Argo yelped. "Grab yer shit, we're goin'!"

* * *

 **Holy fuck I actually managed to write a chapter in one day in less then six hours. What in the actual fuck. I think I started around 11ish and finished at exactly 2:05PM? I'm getting this done. Anyway, tell me your thoughts on the chapter. Character interactions may be shaky, especially with Sinon so notify me of any errors.**

 **Oh yeah, shit's getting real from now on. This may get a little dark.**

 **\- Strider**


End file.
